A Thousand Miles
by LunarisAmor
Summary: Kosuke Nakahara's past is dominated by loss and betrayal. And ever since, she hasn't been the same. No friends, no trust for anyone. Now, attending Ouran Academy as a boy, and she has to learn how to trust others. Along the way, she may come particularly close to one or more of our Hosts. HikaruxOCxKaoru.
1. Now Introducing Kosuke Nakahara Part 1

Chapter 1

Kosuke's P.O.V.

_BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!_

I roll over in bed, groaning at the sound of my clock. The numbers _7:45 _stare at me in red, teasing me out of bed. I slap my hand down on it, almost sending it crashing to the floor. I toss back the quilted covers and fling my legs across the side of the bed, stretching my arms and arching my back. Then I began moving my tired legs across my white-carpet to the bathroom, closing the door behind me.

I stare into the mirror, and my reflection stares back at me, from my small hips to the top of my head. My skin is really pale. Not unhealthy and pasty, but still, it's pale. _Everyone _in my family has pale skin. My candy apple red hair is even redder against it. My hair used to be light brown, like my mother's, but one day I just thought I'd look really good with red hair, and it turned out I did. Mom didn't scream or ground me or anything-she actually liked it. People usually gush endlessly on how beautiful me and my family all are, but really, I don't really see anything remarkably pretty. I'm a bit on the thin side, with a banana-shaped body and a half-size-smaller-than-normal chest. The only thing I see that would be considered pretty to others would probably be my eyes. Bright aqua, with thick lashes, just like my...

_No. Don't think about him._

My name is Kosuke Nakahara, and today is the day I start Ouran Academy as a first-year student. Last month, one of my mom's work friends had given her a brochure to the academy (apparently, his son goes there, too.) Mom thought this would be a good 'change of scenery' for me and, as of yesterday, we had officially moved.

I had mixed feelings about Ouran. It seemed nice, with a long list of great clubs and classes to take, but I was just worried about the people there. I had a pretty big feeling that a lot of the people there were going to be rude, mean, mindless snobs. I mean, the brochure had its motto on the front: _Lineage counts first, wealth a close second._

Oh, and just one more thing to add my attendance at Ouran:

I'm going as a boy.

I have been to two other schools in my life, and it wasn't very good at either. I was constantly bullied (it only got worse when I dyed my hair,) and I didn't have any real friends. Come to think of it, I've never had any real friends. Except-

_No._

Anyway, Mother thought that dressing like a boy would be good new start for me. Of course, when she told me, I thought she was MAD. What kind of mother actually suggests that her daughter cross-dresses as a boy? But she was dead serious.

I'm not mad. I don't blame her for worrying about me. I've just never been the same ever since..._he _left.

_Just get ready for school. Don't start crying now._

First (after brushing my teeth and combing my hair), I wrap my chest in bandages to hide it's size. In the end, the bandages are really tight, like a bodice, and my breathing is a bit more challenged, but I'll be perfectly fine. Next, I grab my colored contacts and put them in. Not that the contacts are really necessary, but I'm pretty sure they just add to the illusion, and either way, if I were to be in public as a girl, then my eyes would be too distinct to deny. The contacts are deep red, not like blood, but more like rubies.

Next, I pull on my uniform: a blue blazer over a white button-up shirt, and a pair of black trousers. Over the left breast of the blazer, the Ouran seal is stitched into the fabric. Completing the uniform is a black tie with a vertical purple stripe.

"Kosuke?"

I pull open the door to see my older sister, Honami. Honami is ridiculously beautiful, with long, wavy black hair and our mother's grey-blue eyes. Her skin, like the rest of our family's, is pale and flawless. Her full lips, long lashes, and hourglass shape make her look like a 'queen,' as my little sister Minami would say. She's wearing the female uniform, a long, pale yellow dress with a high neck collar and turn-up sleeves, white stockings, and brown-heeled Mary Janes. And while _she _looks good in it, I'm happy I don't have to wear it. Honami will be attending Ouran with me, as a second-year student.

"Are you ready for me fit your wig?" she asks, holding up a leather suitcase and a head model wearing a pale blond wig.

"Yes ma'am, just a second, please," I say, pulling on my loafers.

For the next ten minutes or so, she's expertly putting on my new wig. Honami is studying to be a cosmetologist, and she's taking weekly classes. No doubt she'll be one of the world's best when she graduates.

When she's done, I look in the mirror. The wig I'm wearing is short and pale blond, with parted bangs. I was worried it would look really fake, but it actually looks one-hundred-percent real. I tug on it, and I'm surprised to find it securely kept in place.

When I look into the mirror, I'm shocked. Really, I've only done four changes to my appearance: a wig, colored contacts, a boy's uniform, and some chest bindings. But now I don't look like a girl at all! The only girl-y things I can see are my lips and my eyelashes. Shoot...I actually look good as a boy...

"You make a cute boy," Honami beams, closing her suitcase. "You're going to have to beat those girls off with a stick."

"With my luck, I'm sure," I sigh.

"Come on, Mom's got breakfast ready."

I nod and follow her downstairs. Mother is in love with Victorian-styled houses, so that's the kind of house we currently live in. The house is three stories high. The bottom floor consists of the living room/entertainment room, the kitchen, the dining room, and the laundry room. The second floor has all five of our rooms, side-by-side, each with a bathroom. the top floor consists of one bedroom, and the attic. Honami and I step down the staircase into the dining room, where an okayu-and-nori breakfast awaits us.

"Good morning!" Our little sister, Minami, cries from her seat. Minami is probably the most adorable little girl on the planet. She looks just like Mother, with silky, pale brown hair and big, grey-blue eyes. She has her hair in its natural ringlets, pinned back with a pink, mouse-shaped hair-clip. Being seven, she'll be attending Ouran Elementary, and she's now wearing the pink dress that serves as her uniform. She looks adorable in it, and the mouse-shaped clips on her Mary Janes match the clip in her hair perfectly. Did I mention Minami is obsessed with mice? She's carrying her orange-green-and-blue plaid blanket that Grandma Nakahara gave her as a first-birthday gift. When she sees me, her eyes go big and her lip trembles. "Where's Kosuke?"

I chuckle and walk over to her, ruffling her hair. "_I'm _Kosuke. I'm just dressing up for school, remember, Little Mouse?"

At the sound of her nickname, Minami pounces on me in a hug. "Oh yeah! I forgot!"

"Oh, sweetheart! You look so adorable!" Suddenly, a wild Mother appears and uses Glomp on me. It's super effective and I lose my balance for a moment. Mother is forty-five years old, and she doesn't look a day older than Honami. Mother has straight, pale brown hair usually kept in a bun and sparkling grey-blue eyes, with not-too-thin lips and high cheekbones. She's in her usual working clothes: a lavender blouse and a grey pencil skirt, with grey heels. Mother works in the local school system, and works part-time as a substitute professor at the local university.

"I'm glad you like it, I suppose." I gasp out, my face going blue as she squeezes me hard. "Mother. My lungs are giving out."

"Oh, sorry," Mother chuckles and lets go of me, and I take a deep breath of air. Honami chuckles and Minami giggles loudly. Mother steps over to the staircase and calls, "RITUKO! COME DOWN OR YOU WON'T HAVE TIME TO EAT BREAKFAST!"

A muffled grunt is all that replies from my older brother.

We all sit down to the table and begin to eat our breakfast. Mother showers me in reminders for my school-life as a boy:

1. Don't join any sports clubs. (for more than one reason)

2. Stop by the bathroom at least twice a day to make sure everything's in place.

3. DO NOT date any girls.

4. DO NOT date any boys.

5. Don't tell anyone you're a girl. If they find out themselves, we'll find out what to do.

And so on, so forth.

Just as we begin to take up the dishes, Rituko comes stomping down the stairs. Rituko will be attending as a third-year at Ouran, and his uniform matches mine perfectly. Rituko is really cute (or at least, I think he is, the attraction doesn't work for me since I'm his sister) with shaggy black hair and aqua eyes that match mine perfectly. He's the tallest person in the family, a little over six feet tall.

Mother sighs as he walks in, "You just missed out on breakfast."

"I'll just take an apple," Rituko says, grabbing a fruit from the bowl on the kitchen counter. "It's already 8:15, anyway, so we'd better get going."

"All right, family, move out!" Mother orders army-style.

"Ma'am, yes ma'am!" We all salute her and walk out the front door to our deep green minivan. Mother and Rituko take the front, and Honami, Minami, and I take the back.

* * *

When we pull up at the school, I'm pretty sure all of our jaws drop, except for Mother's.

This school is a hundred times bigger than I expected! It looks like a castle from one of Minami's story books! Everything is so glamorous and beautiful and..._PINK! SO. VERY. __**PINK! **_I can't even tell how many buildings there are! This place looks like it goes on forever!

As we drive down the the paved loop-around driveway, Mother smiles at us. "If you get lost, don't worry, they won't count you late on your first day. Just ask someone for directions and you should be fine. Have a nice first day!"

Honami and Rituko step out of the car, and just as I stand, Mother says, "Oh, and Kosuke?"

"Yes ma'am?"

"The principal is the only one here who knows you're a girl. But other than that, none of the teachers know, alright?"

"Yes ma'am," I nod, and then I smile down at Minami encouragingly, "Be brave, Little Mouse."

"You too, Kosuke!" Minami beams.

I smile and shut the door, and the minivan drives off. With a deep breath, I look around me at the campus. I know I'm in Class 1A, so if I find out where that is, all I have to do is stay there, and I should be able to get my schedule and luckily, a map.

As I begin to walk into the building, I notice two things:

The first thing is that _almost every single person at this school is__** beautiful. **_I'm not exaggerating in the slightest. Lineage and wealth aren't the only important things at this school, apparently. I feel like I just walked into Beauty Academy of Beautiville, Beautania. Either that or a teen magazine...

The second thing I notice is that almost all of the students (mostly girls) are staring at me. Every time I pass by a group of girls, I can hear whispers and giggles behind me. I try to avoid eye contact, looking straight ahead, but I know my hands are trembling. Was my disguise not good enough? Did they know I was a girl? Did they think I was a cross-dresser, or a freak?

Or both?

Taking my chances, I approach two girls talking to each other. One of them has reddish-brown, waist-length hair and green eyes, and the other has a black bob-cut and deep blue eyes. Again, they're beautiful. "Excuse me?"

They both stop talking to look at me, and I think I hear them take in sharp breaths. Oh gosh, they probably thought I was a freakshow. "Yes?" they both asked.

"I just arrived here a few minutes ago. Could one of you please show me the way to class 1A?"

The girls look at each other, wide-eyed, before they both turn to me, smiling brightly.

"Sure!" the bob-cut one chirps. "We both can!"

"I'm Misora Kobayashi," the green-eyed one beams, "And this is Chiyo Mizushima."

"What's your name?" Chiyo asks, and suddenly, they both look very anxious to listen to me.

I hold out my hand, saying, "My name is Kosuke Nakahara. It's nice to meet you both."

Chiyo and Misora lean into each other, whispering and then giggling. Then they both take turns shaking my hand. Misora says, "Here. We'll take you to Class 1A." She and Chiyo hold out their right hands for me.

I politely take them, saying, "Thank you very much, I greatly appreciate it." I think I see their faces tinge pink.

As we walk, Chiyo turns to me and says, "Me and Misora are in Class 1B."

"So what got you into class 1A?" Misora asks.

"My mother works in the local school system, and the principal invited my siblings and I to attend here at Ouran." I reply.

As we walk for the next few minutes, Misora and Chiyo tell me about themselves. Misora is an only child who's parents own a five-class restaurant in town, and Chiyo has three older brothers and parents own the only animal hospital in town, and her extended family owns animal hospitals all over the world.

Now-in case you haven't already assumed-I have been considered as a ridiculously polite person, calling every girl 'ma'am' and every boy 'sir', no matter how old they were. Minami is the only exception. And it seemed whenever I called Misora and/or Chiyo 'ma'am,' they giggled and turned pink, it seemed.

We finally reached the door to Class 1A. "I greatly appreciate your help. It was very nice to meet you both."

I wait a moment, to see if they were going to say 'bye' or 'see you later,' but instead, they looked at each other, nodded, and Misora asked, "Kosuke-san, would you like to eat with us at lunch?"

I'm taken by surprise for a moment, but then I smile softly and reply, "Yes, ma'aams. I greatly appreciate the offer. Goodbye."

"Bye, Kosuke-san," Misora and Chiyo chirp, before walking away, giggling and pink-faced.

_Uh-oh..._

Pushing the ridiculous thought from my mind, I push the door open and step inside.

At first, everyone only glances at me and goes back to talking.

Then they do a double-take and go dead silent.

"Oh," the sensei stood and gestured a hand towards me as I closed the door. "Class, this is Kosuke Nakahara. He's new here, so I expect you all to be on your best behavior and help in any way possible." She opens a drawer at her desk, shuffling through it. "Kosuke-kun, if you would please come over and sign a few things, I can give you your new schedule."

"Yes, ma'am," I say, and I walk over to her desk.

As I begin to sign my name onto a sheet of paper, whispers and giggles fill the air, following me all the way to my seat. As I sit down, I can only think, _Maybe this won't be so bad..._


	2. Now Introducing Kosuke Nakahara Part 2

_Tuesday:_

_I. English_

_II. Math_

_III. Japanese Language_

_IV. Chemistry _

_LUNCH_

_V. Social Studies_

_VI. Physical Ed._

_AFTER SCHOOL ACTIVITIES_

I read the schedule for the sixteenth time, trying to ignore the whispers and giggles that are still floating into my ears. The only things we did in our classes was read books and take notes. If we were going over notes, the sensei would just give them to me, already-printed.

Finally, after Chemistry, it's time for lunch. Everyone leaves the room, and at first I consider just staying here in the classroom to eat my bento, but then I remember I promised Misora and Chiyo that I would join them for lunch. Grabbing my bento, I stand from my seat-

And end up crashing right into someone else.

Us, a few chairs, and our bentos crash to the floor with several crashes. A few moments later, we're shuffling to pick up our bentos, whilst blubbering out apologies.

"I'm so sorry," the boy says. I'm sure it's a boy, I can see the bottom half of his uniform.

"No, I greatly apologize. I wasn't looking where I was going," I say, grabbing my bento and standing up, bowing. "Please forgive me."

"...Yeah, sure. Kosuke, right?" the boy asks, grabbing one of the chairs and setting them upright.

"Yes sir, I-" I look up at him, and then I see...

...it's not a him at all.

She's wearing a boy's uniform, and her brown hair is really short, but she's obviously a girl. She's got big brown eyes and soft-looking lips and I'm only an inch taller than her. Right now, those big brown eyes are staring at me the exact same way I'm staring at them.

"Excuse me..." I say.

"Aren't you a..." she starts.

"...Girl?" We say at the same time, and then we stiffen.

For the next few moments, it's like we're reading each others thoughts. I go to the wooden door, making sure no one's outside through the window, and then I lock it. Haruhi shuts the one open window and in no time at all, we're both crouched behind the sensei's desk.

"How'd you know I'm a girl?" We both say in unison.

Drops of sweat roll down the side of our faces. Then, after a moment, the girl-dressed-as-a-guy-says, "You first."

"To me, it's just obvious." I tell her. "Yes you're hair's short, and you're wearing a boy's uniform, but you still look like a girl. Do you mean that no one else knows you're a girl?"

"My friends do," the girl replies, "But everyone else just thinks I'm a boy."

"How did you know I was a girl?"

"Same with you. To me, it's just obvious." she says, inclining her head a bit. Then, she asks, "Did you cut your hair or is that a wig?"

"It's a wig," I say, running a hand through my fake hair. "What about yours, if I may ask?"

"It's cut. A kid got gum in it a while back, and I just cut it off to save all the trouble of getting gum out of long hair," the girl answers, brushing her bangs to the side.

There's a moment of understanding silence. Then, smiling slightly, I hold out my hand. "I'm Kosuke Nakahara, nice to meet you."

She smiles back and shakes my hand. "Haruhi Fujioka, nice to meet you, too."

Another moment of silence, and then I say, "I'd greatly appreciate it if you didn't tell anyone I'm a girl."

She doesn't even ask why. She just nods and says, "OK. But _you_ can't tell anyone _I'm_ a girl, alright?"

"Yes ma'am," I nod. "I need to go to lunch now."

"Oh, me too." Haruhi says, and we both stand from behind the sensei's desk. We then become aware that we both have each other's bantos, and we swap them, chuckling. I unlock the door and hold it open for her.

"You're really polite," she comments, walking through.

"Thank you, ma'am," I say, closing the door behind me. "If I may ask, why do you dress like a boy?"

"It wasn't really my intention. I owe this school's Host Club a lot of money, and I have to dress as a boy to pay it off."

I furrow my pale eyebrows, confused. "What's the Host Club?"

Before Haruhi can say a single syllable, someone's voice slices through the air.

_"HARUHI~!"_

We both turn to see a teenage boy running out way. He's tall, about as tall as Rituko, with soft-looking blond hair and violet eyes, wearing the school uniform. He's bounding towards Haruhi like a lovesick puppy.

"Who's that?" I ask.

"My friend, Tamaki Suoh. He's the leader of the Host Club. And he knows I'm a girl." Haruhi replies. "Tamaki-senpai, what's wrong?"

"You weren't at the cafeteria so I went searching for you to make sure you were-" his stops dead as his eyes land on me. At first he looks surprised, violet eyes wide and blond eyebrows raised. Then he looks half-angry, half-murderous, and I tense up a bit. "Who is this?"

"Senpai, this is Kosuke Nakahara. S..._He's _new here. Sorry to worry you, senpai, me and Kosuke were just talking."

"Doesn't look like you were talking." Tamaki growls angrily.

At first, I'm confused, but then I look at the two of us and understand what he meant. I forgot to straighten my wig after I ran my hand through it, and it was now sticking up in odd angles. Our clothes were slightly crumpled from hiding behind the desk. "Oh."

_"OH?!"_

Suddenly, Tamaki is placing himself between Haruhi and I, snarling like a crazed bear in my face. "YOU STAY AWAY FROM MY HARUHI, YOU HEAR ME? IF YOU COME NEAR HIM AGAIN, YOU'RE GOING TO ANSWER TO THE HOST CLUB, DO YOU UNDERSTAND?"

_Then _I got it. Tamaki was head-over-heels for Haruhi. Everytime he looked at her, his eyes were sparkling like fireworks. You could practically see little hearts filling the air around him. "Yes, sir."

"YOU LITTLE-Wait, what?" Tamaki's angry face is replaced with a confused, shocked one. Behind him, Haruhi sighs in annoyance.

"I won't go near him again. I apologize if you were angry, I didn't mean any harm. I hope you'll forgive me." I bow to show my apology.

Tamaki justs stares at me a long moment, wide-eyed and slack-jawed. Then, his eyes go huge and he puts on a baby-like face, his skin tinged pink. "What a charming, polite boy you are!" Tamaki then puts on a genuine smile, bowing while extending an arm charmingly. "Kosuke Nakahara, I hereby invite you to the Host Club this evening after school hours."

"But-"

"We anticipate you're arrival! Come now, Haruhi!" Tamaki takes Haruhi by the arm-not forcefully, but gently-and begins to lead her away.

"Bye, Kosuke-san!" Haruhi calls behind her shoulder.

"Goodbye, Haruhi-san!" I call back as she turns the corner.

* * *

When I enter the cafeteria, a bead of sweat rolls down my face. This place is bigger than a gymnasium, and no doubt it will take me forever to find Misora and Chiyo here.

"KOSUKE-SAN! KOSUKE-SAN, OVER HERE!"

_Huh. Maybe not._

At one of the closer tables, Chiyo is standing up, waving an arm to get my attention. Misora is sitting next to her. I walk over, and unsurprisingly, girls stare and giggle my way. I sit down between Chiyo and Misora, and I'm positive that every other girl at the table inches closer to us.

"I greatly apologize for being late," I tell Misora and Chiyo, "I had a small talk with a fellow student."

"Oh, it's fine," Misora smiles warmly, "Don't worry about it."

"So how's your first day at school been so far?" asks Chiyo.

"It's been fine," I smile gently at her, "I appreciate your asking."

"Excuse me, Kosuke-san."

I look up at a girl with short auburn hair and deep brown eyes. When she sees me looking at her, she blushes a bit and gestures to my bento. "I'm sorry, but what is that?"

"It's a bento," I reply.

A second girl with straight black bangs over green eyes asks, "An already-made lunch?"

A third girl with straight brown hair says, "Kosuke-san, I didn't know you were a commoner."

_Commoner? _"I apologize, but I'm not a...'commoner.' My mother just prefers to pack our lunches for us."

"That's so smart," A girl with deep red hair says, "Then you don't have to pay for the school lunches!"

"Commoners are so smart!" The aurburn-haired girl says in awe, and I don't bother correcting her. That would have probably been rude.

* * *

DONG! DONG! DONG!

"Alright, Kosuke-kun, you're dismissed," Sensei says, tossing a towel over his neck. "We'll see if we'll start on something new tomorrow. Have a good evening."

I bow to him, nodding, wiping the sweat from my brow. I'd just run across the track five times, with breaks in between. Now, I could barely breath and my legs felt like rocks. I had to take private classes with the sensei for physical ed. Of course, this is for my secretly-a-girl-problem, because if I had physical ed. with other boys, that'd mean we'd go to the lockers at the same time. But the sensei had just been told that I had 'health issues' and that I should take private classes.

Which wasn't necessarily a lie. I do have health issues. I was born two and a half months premature, but the only problem I had was a heart problem. I have to watch my heartbeat carefully, or else I may have something like a heart attack. I have to carry this tight bracelet on my right wrist to rate my heartbeat, called a HRD. If my heartbeat is fine, then the lines will stay green, but if my heartbeat gets dangerously hard and fast, the lines will turn red and the HRD will beep loudly. The bracelet is hidden under the sleeve of my uniform, but right now in my physical education uniform (a white T-shirt and purple shorts), it was right out in the open. Running track wasn't really dangerous for me, so long as I took five-minute breaks in between and I paced myself carefully.

I begin to walk back to the lockerroom, stepping past the student that are leaving the campus for the day. When I get there, I open my locker, pull out my uniform, and walk into the bathroom to change. When I'm done, I put my physical ed. uniform back in the locker, making sure I didn't leave anything 'personal' inside.

I leave the lockerroom, ready to go visit the Host Club...but then I realize I have no idea where it is.

I take a deep breath. I could either a) walk around the entre school trying to find it, which would most likely have me home by next century, b) not go at all, and risk being hunted down by Tamaki, or c) ask someone for directions.

"Kosuke-san?"

_C it is._

I turn around to see Misora and Chiyo about ten feet away, staring at me with their heads tilted to the side a bit. "Is something wrong?" Chiyo asks.

"Oh, no," I assure them with a soft smile, "I'm supposed to go to the Host Club, but I haven't the slightest idea where it is."

Misora and Chiyo light up like fireworks.

"We can show you where it is, Kosuke-san!" Misora beams brightly.

"Yeah, we were just going to the Host Club, too! We'll take you there!" Chiyo exclaims, and she and Misora both hold out hands.

"I greatly appreciate it," I smile at them and take their hands.

"So why are you going to the Host Club, Kosuke-san?" Misora asks as we begin to walk.

"The club's leader, Tamaki Suoh, invited me there," I explain.

"Tamaki-senpai invited you?" asks Chiyo, wide-eyed.

"Yes, ma'am. He seemed very serious about it as well," I say with a nod.

Chiyo and Misora exchange looks of surprise and what I think it expecting hope. Then, as we stop in front of a tall pink door, labeled _Music Room #3,_ Misora says, "Here it is!"

I nod and grab the door handle, swinging the door open so the girls can-

There's a bright flash of white, and drops of red fall down my view. Rose petals?

And then, seven voices speak at once.

"Welcome."


	3. Now Introducing Kosuke Nakahara Part 3

When my eyes adjust to the light of the room, I manage to take in the sight in front of me. The room is bizarrely big for a music room, with large windows, and there are wooden tables and pink couches scattered in groups. All of the couches are filled with girls waiting for...who knows what.

Right in front of me, there are seven (insanely beautiful) teenage boys staring at Misora, Chiyo and I.

"Welcome, my lovely pr-" Tamaki stops in the mid-sentence as he notices me standing in the doorway. "Oh!" Tamaki jumps out of his throne-like seat and takes four ling strides over to us. "Kosuke-san! There you are! We've been expecting your arrival!" Tamaki then turns to Misora and Chiyo, giving them a charming smile. "Princesses, if you would please go take a seat, the Host Club will begin in just a moment."

"OK, Tamaki-sempai!" Misora and Chiyo chirp, stepping past us to go sit down at one of the couches.

"Hi, Kosuke-san," Haruhi smiles, waving at me.

"Hello, Mr. Fujioka," I smile back, waving as well.

Tamaki puts a hand on my shoulder and turns me away from Haruhi so that I can face the rest of the Host Club. "Gentlemen, this is Kosuke Nakahara."

Two identical twins walk up to us. They both have pale skin and spiky ginger (slightly pink) hair. Their eyes remind me of a foxes', a sort of darkish-gold color. They're both wearing the Ouran uniform. "Aren't you the new guy in our class?" they both ask in perfect unison.

"Yes, sirs," I nod, slightly recalling two twins in my class earlier today.

They both raise eyebrows at the exact same time. "'Sirs'?"

"Onto more serious business, gentlemen," Tamaki says, before turning to me, smiling, "Kosuke Nakahara, we want you to join our Club!"

My fake-red eyes widen. "Pardon?"

"You've been deemed Host-Club-material by the women of this school," a boy with short black hair (that makes his pale skin look paler) says. He has glasses on, and the light of the room causes them to block out his eyes' color, but I can see a glint of gray through the glass. "They've deemed you as the 'Polite Type' and I'm sure they'd like it if you joined the Club."

"I apologize, 'Polite Type'?" I say, raising an eyebrow.

"All of the Hosts have Types in the Club," explains Tamaki. "I myself am the 'Princely Type.' The others include the 'Natural Type', the 'Cool Type', the 'Little Devil Type', the 'Loli-Shota Type,' and the 'Wild Type.'" Each time he lists a 'type,' I can see his eyes flicker to one of the Hosts.

"I apologize, but I'm not sure if I should join a club at the moment," I tell them. "I've only just arrived here this morning."

Tamaki doesn't seem fazed at all. He only replies, "At least stay for the evening so you can see what we do."

I take a deep breath and reply, "Yes, sir. But I'd greatly appreciate it if I could borrow someone's phone to call my mother."

In no time at all, a silver phone is right in front of me. "Here you go," the Boy with the Glasses says.

"I appreciate it," I say, dialing my mother's number onto the screen.

Two rings later, I here, _"Hello?"_

"Hello, Mother. It's Kosuke."

_"Sweetie, where are you? We've been waiting in the car for ten minutes."_

"I apologize. A club here wants me to join, and I was going to stay here for a while."

_"Oh, that sounds great, sweetheart! It's not a sports club, is it?"_

"I don't think so."

_"Well, alright. Call us when you're done and we'll come pick you up."_

"I appreciate it, Mother. Goodbye."

_"Bye, sweetie."_

I shut the phone and hand it back to the Boy with the Glasses. "We can begin now, if you wish."

"Excellent!" Tamaki exclaims.

**ROUND 1: HONEY AND MORI!**

"Kosu-chan, could you hold Usa-Chan while I cut the cake?" A small boy with big brown eyes and smooth blond hair asks as he holds up a pale pink stuffed rabbit to me. He looks like he's no older than six, and he's wearing white T-shirt with a red collar and hem, a blue jacket with a yellow hood, black jeans and red sneakers. I'm pretty positive he's the Loli-Shota Type. The boy sitting next to him is even taller than Rituko, with spiky black hair and dark eyes, wearing a white undershirt, a plaid red button-up, jeans, and black sneakers.

"Yes, sir," I reply, taking the stuffed rabbit from him. For a split second, I think the rabbit actually blushes, but I know it can't possibly do that. The three girls with us whisper something about me being so polite.

"Here, Mori-chan, you can have a big piece," the Loli-Shota Boy takes out a slice from the cake the size of a football. He then begins to move it to Mori-chan's china plate. Uh-oh.

"Excuse me," I say quickly, "I don't believe-"

Too late. The cake hit the floor in a splatter of pink.

"-that's a good idea..." I finish quietly.

The Loli-Shota Boy stares at the fallen piece of cake for a long moment. Then, tears well up in his eyes and his lip trembles. "Takashi...I dropped your cake..."

"Mitsukuni..."

The Tall Boy leans over and wipes the tears from the Loli-Shota Boy's big brown eyes. Then, the Loli-Shota Boy bursts into tears and jumps into Tall Boy's arms. "TAKASHI!"

The girls are our table burst into squeals, their fashes flushed with mirth.

I just watch the whole scene with a confusedly blank face.

The Loli-Shota Boy turns to me and beams. "I think Usa-Chan likes you!"

I look down at the stuffed rabbit in my lap. Then, smiling a bit, I hold it out for him, "You can tell Usa-Chan I like him, too."

The girls squeal louder, and one even faints.

**ROUND 2: TAMAKI!**

"Kasuke-san, would you please pour us some tea?" Tamaki asks from the couch opposite to the one I'm sitting on. A girl with braided-back orange hair is sitting next to him.

"Yes, sir," I reply, grabbing the white-and-blue teapot and pouring the liquid into two seperate cups.

"So you were the one who invited Kosuke-san to the Host Club, Tamaki-sempai?" the girl asks as I hand her a cup.

"Correct, my princess," Tamaki answers as he takes his teacup from my hand.

"Tamaki-sempai, how do you come up with such good ideas?" The girls breaths, her voice filled with awe.

"From my inspiration," Tamaki says, setting his tea cup down.

"What's your inspiration?"

Suddenly, Tamaki puts one hand on the girl's waist, taking her right hand with the other, and he leans in like he's about to kiss her. "You, of course."

The girl bursts into giggles, her face bright red.

Again, I just watch with a confusedly blank face.

**ROUND 3: KYOYA!**

"So you don't actually do Hosting, correct?" I ask the Boy with the Glasses as I stand next to him. He's writing non-stop a black notebook, but I don't look to see what he's writing. That would be rude.

"Not really. I usually just manage the Host Club's profits," he replies, never looking up from his notebook.

"So, you're the Club's manager, correct?"

"Correct. Though I will interact with the customers every now and then," he pauses in his notebook to look up at me, and for the first time, I can see his gray eyes perfectly. "You should go ahead and move on. The club will be ending not too long from now."

"Yes, sir," I bow to him slightly.

I turn on my heel, but three steps later, the Boy with the Glasses asks, "Kosuke-san?"

I turn to him. "Yes, sir?"

"Your last name is Nakahara, correct?"

"Yes, sir." I reply.

When he doesn't reply, I walk away.

**ROUND 4: KAORU AND HIKARU!**

"Kosuke-san, please refill our cups for us," Twin Two says, pushing his cup towards me as Twin One does the same with is cup.

"Yes, sirs," I reply, grabbing the teapot once more.

When I'm done pouring the tea, the Twins both reach out to pick up their cups.

As they do, Twin One 'accidentally' knocks his cup over, splashing his hand in hot liquid.

Twin One gasps, clutching his finger in pain. Twin Two immediately reaches over, putting one hand on Twin One's arm, the other on Twin One's back. "Kaoru! Are you OK?"

"I'm fine," Twin One chokes out (geez, it was just tea...), "Just clumsy, is all."

Twin Two engulfs Twin One in a hug, careful to avoid Twin One's 'injured' finger. "You have to be more careful, Kaoru. Promise me that."

"I promise, Hikaru..." Twin One burrows his face into Twin Two's neck.

The girls at our table squeal and giggle, blushing pink and red.

And I just stare, confusedly expressionless, my face tinged pink a bit.

**ROUND 5: HARUHI!**

"Kosuke-san, have you ever tried pre-ground coffee before?" A girl with long brown hair, Momoka, I think, asks me as I sit at the last table.

"Do you mean insta-"

"Here, try some." One of Mamoka's friends pushes a cup of dark liquid towards me. I lift it up to my lips and take a sip.

I put on a confused smile and say, "It's very nice."

The three girls giggle and whisper to each other. As they do, I lean over to Haruhi. "They do realize it's just instant coffee, yes?"

"To everyone here, it's like water from the Fountain of Youth," she replies, and we both chuckle.

* * *

Tamaki and I held the door open for the last of the girls leaving for the day. When all of the ladies were gone, Tamaki and I closed the doors, and Tamaki stepped over to me, violet eyes gleaming in hope. "So, Kosuke-san, what do you think?"

I hold my chin between my index finger and my thumb. "So what you do is you talk to women to entertain and/or please them, correct?"

"Yeah!" the Loli-Shota boy beams, jumping up a big, still holding 'Usa-Chan' in his arms.

I think hard, humming a bit. Sure, I look like a boy, and I'm sure I act like one good enough, but would it really be a good idea to talk to girls like this with a bunch of other boys?

"We'd really like it if you joined!" Tamaki tells me.

"Hm..."

"You can eat sweets with me and Takashi!" the Loli-Shota boy offers.

"Hmm..."

"It's really fun," Haruhi puts in.

"Hmmm..."

"You can pick on Tono with us," the Twins offer with devious smiles.

"Hmmmm..."

The Boy with the Glasses leans in to whisper in my ear. "If you don't join, I'll tell everyone in school you're a girl."

My eyes widen.

"I accept your offer," I quickly tell Tamaki, putting on my best fake-smile.

Tamaki squeals and pulls me into a hug. "Welcome to the Host Club, my son!"

The Loli-Shota boy cheers. "Yay! Kosu-chan's in the club now!"

"New toy! New toy! New toy!" the Twins cheer, fist-pumping the air.

A bead of sweat rolls down my face.

"Now, I think we should get on to introductions," Tamaki smiles. "I'm third-year Tamaki Suoh, if you didn't already know. That's second-year Haruhi Fujioka, but of course you've already met." Haruhi waves at me. "Those two over there are second-years Kaoru and Hikaru Hitachiin." The two Twins join arms, smirking. "These are cousins Mitsukuni 'Honey' Haninozuka and Takashi 'Mori' Morinozuka, who are now attending Ouran University." The Loli-Shota boy giggles the the Tall boy hums. "And that there is third-year Kyoya Ootori." The Boy with the Glasses doesn't look up from his notebook.

"You will begin your Hosting tomorrow," Tamaki says, opening the door. "Welcome to the Ouran Host Club!"

"See you tomorrow, Kosu-chan!" Honey smiles at me before he and Takashi follow Tamaki out the door.

"Bye, Toy!" Kaoru and Hikaru wave at me, smirking deviously, before leaving out the door.

"Bye, Kosuke-san," Haruhi smiles at me as she walks out the door.

"Goodbye," I tell all of them as the door closes.

It's just me and Kyoya. The tension is so thick you can cut it with a knife.

"How did you know-?"

"You're Heartbeat Rating Device," Kyoya says, finally shutting his black notebook. Instintively, my left hand tightens around the device around my right wrist. I can tell the green lines going across the screen are getting higher. "You see, the HRD is a device of Ootori Medical. You're a customer of the HRD, and you come in monthly for check-ups. All it took was a little bit of background-searching, and I found out."

A bead of sweat rolls down my face. "Well this is unfortunate..."

"For you, probably, but the club will get more profits from you as a Host," Kyoya says matter-of-factly, stepping past me to the door. As he opens it, he turns to me with an odd smile. "Welcome to the Host Club."

Then he shuts the door, leaving me alone with my thoughts.

* * *

I walk away from the building to the green minivan waiting for me. I had called Mother when the Host Club had ended, and when I open the door, Mother, Minami, and Honami are inside. Rituko's probably at martial-arts class. I close the door behind me as I sit in my seat, buckling the seat-belt around my waist. I smile up at Minami. "So were you brave at school today?"

Minami nods enthusiastically, brown curls bouncing. "Yeah, I was! I made some new friends!"

"Good, I'm happy to hear that," I smile at her.

"Yay!" she cheers.

"So what kind of club did you join?" Mother smiles at me.

"It's called a Host Club."

"What do they do?"

"They...entertain girls by talking to them."

"That sounds nice, dear," Mother beams, turning the corner. A bead of sweat rolls down my face. Mother thinks everything sounds nice.

"You're not worried or anything?" I ask.

"Nope. I know you only make the best decisions and that you wouldn't join a club you know is bad news," she says warmly. I decide not to tell her that I didn't join by my own will.

"No one's been picking on you, have they?" Honami asks warningly, going full lioness-protecting-cub-mode.

"No, not at all." I smile at her nervously. Whenever I let it slip that someone's picking on me, Honami bursts into flames and confronts the person face-to-face. Or, in some occasions, face-to-fist.

"They'd better not be," she growls, looking out the window. Another bead of sweat rolls down my face as I chuckle nervously.

"Nobody found out that you're a girl, did they?" Mother asks, glancing at me through the mirror.

"...One person did, but she's just like me."

Mother's eyebrows rise. "She dresses up as a boy, too?"

"Yes, ma'am, so I don't believe this is a problem."

"You're right, sweetheart. It's alright if she knows. I'm glad too hear you're making friends already."

* * *

_4 Hours Later-8:00 PM_

Minami leaped into bed, the wooden frame creaking under her small weight. She was wearing her pajamas: a red, pink, orange, and brown polka-dotted nightgown with cream-colored lace and a mouse on the front. As well as her blanket, she was holding Kawaī, her stuffed mouse, in her arms. I pulled up her mice-designed covers around her.

"Kosuke, did _you_ make any friends today?" Minami asks me, her blue-grey eyes glittering with excitement.

I hesitate, setting my hands in my lap. "Not quite..."

Minami frowns. "Why not?"

I smile and brush the bangs from her eyes. "Don't worry, Little Mouse. Everything's going to be fine. For you and me both."

As I hoped and expected, Minami smiles and nods, completely forgetting her question. "I know, Kosuke! I know it will!"

"I know you know," I smile warmly, and I kiss her forehead softly. "Goodnight, Little Mouse."

"Good night, Kosuke," she squeaks, and turns over, letting the warmth of the blankets engulf her. I smile at her one last time before standing, flicking the lights off, and closing the door.

**If anyone has any questions, please PM me or put your questions in your reviews. Also, if I got something wrong, please tell me.  
**

**I need someone to suggest a theme song for Kosuke, please. You can tell me the name of the song or send me a link.**

**Also, I am accepting future ideas for episodes.  
**

**See ya next time!  
**


	4. The Battle of the Century Part 1

_A girl sat in the middle of the room. Her hair was pale brown, falling past her shoulders in a low ponytail, and her eyes were a shocking shade of aqua, framed by dark eyelashes. The sunlight pouring from the window gave her pale skin a slightly yellow tint. She looked no more than 12 years old, and she was wearing a white nightgown lined with gold. She was holding something in her hand-a small, round locket, encased in decorative silver. It was open, and inside, a little clock was ticking, never pausing, never ending. If not for the one window, she'd be surrounded by complete, eternal darkness._

_And then, a door opens, and the sunlight vanishes. Now, there's only a dull white light, spreading out around her in a square shape. She looks up with a confused breath, aqua eyes staring up at the figure at the center of the light._

_And he speaks to her. Nine words. Nine words so short, so simple, but so effective. So effective that it slashes a scar across her heart._

_And then, the figure leaves, and the light leaves with him._

_And the girl is alone in the darkness._

_And the ticking of the locket stops._

My eyes fly open as a gasp leaves my lips. My heart's pounding, and my breathing is ragged.

Closing my eyes, I sit up on my bed. The sunlight shines bright through my window, and it's no longer dark. But still...the darkness and those words...they're pounding all around me, inside and out.

Taking a deep, shaking breath, I stand from my bed, ready to prepare myself for school.

* * *

Apparently, the Host Club dresses up once a week in a theme, on a random day. Today, the theme was 'Medieval Castle,' and all of the Hosts were dressed up as people in a castle, with me as a squire. The outfit I was dressed in consisted of brown trousers, a green velvet tunic top, a white undershirt, a brown belt and a brown cap.

"Let's play the 'Which One is Hikaru' game!"

My eyes flickered up to the twins, who were smirking down at the group of girls they were Hosting. The twins are, fittingly, jesters. Their outfits consist of orange-and-blue brushed polyester tunics with decorative collars and elastic waist bands, as well as blue shoes. Their outfits match perfectly. As I watch, the twins pull out two double-pointed, orange-and-blue hats and put them on, covering their parted hair. They move randomly for a few moments before stopping. "Alright, which one is Hikaru?"

The girl squinted her big hazel eyes and pointed one finger to the twin on the left, "I think you're Hikaru."

"Waaaah! You got it wrong," the twins spoke in unison, smirking wider.

"Whatever are they doing?" I ask out loud, to myself and Misora and Chiyo, who, on my first day of Hosting, had promised to visit every day.

"Oh, they're playing the 'Which One is Hikaru' game," Misora says, taking a sip of steaming tea.

"It's just a game where you tell them apart," Chiyo sighs. She must have played before. "And sometimes you have to give reasoning."

"That seems fairly simple," I smile a bit, and Misora and Chiyo smile as well, tinging pink.

"Excuse us?"

My smile disappears as I turn my head around. Hikaru and Kaoru are behind me, looking annoyed and displeased, lips set in frowns and golden eyes narrowed.

"If you think it's so simple-" Kaoru begins.

"-then why don't you try?" Hikaru finishes.

I consider for a moment, and then I reply, "I don't see why not. Yes, sirs, I'll play."

Hikaru and Kaoru smirk deviously. "We're gonna warn you, only two people have ever gotten it right before."

"Don't worry. I'll still play," I smile reassuringly at them.

Hikaru and Kaoru's smirks falter, as if they were expecting a different answer, but then their smirks widen. They move around for a minute, in a sort of funny dance, and then smirk at me. "Alright. Which one is Hikaru?"

I point at the one on the left. "I believe you are."

"Reasoning?" they both ask, crossing their arms.

"Mr. Kaoru's voice is slightly higher and raspier than Mr. Hikaru's. It becomes difficult to tell when you both speak at once, but it's still distinguishable if you really listen."

Hikaru and Kaoru stare at me, their wide eyes filled with shock. Then they frown and cross their arms, turning away from me. "What stupid reasoning."

I frown. "So was I wrong?"

"No," Haruhi says as she walks past Hikaru and Kaoru, a tray of teacups in her hands. "You were right. They just won't admit it." Today, Haruhi is dressed as a prince (despite Tamaki's attempts at making her dress as a queen or princess.) She is dressed in a red tunic top, silver trousers with a gold elastic waist belt, a silver cape, a silver hat with an emerald and a gold feather, and brown leather boots.

Hikaru and Kaoru stick out their tongues. "Haruhi, you're no fun."

"Hey, Kosuke-san, what's that on your wrist?"

I turn my attention to Misora, who has a finger pointed at the HRD on my wrist, which is showing due to my turned-up costume sleeve. I pull the sleeve down further so she can see the moving green lines better. "This is a Heart Rating Device."

"What does it do?" Chiyo asks, looking at the HRD curiously.

"It rates my heartbeat by keeping track of my pulse."

"Why would you wear that?" A blond girl asks as she and her brunette friend appear behind Misora and Chiyo's couch.

"I have a heart defficiency. If my heart beats too fast or too slow, it's supposed to tell me."

Five more girls appear around our couches, wide-eyed and gaping. "You mean you could have a heart attack at any moment?" A girl with small blue eyes asks.

"Yes, I suppose, but there's no reason to-"

"KOSUKE-SAN, YOU DON'T FEEL FAINT DO YOU?!" Misora cries, slapping a hand to my forehead. I let out a surprised exclamation.

"IS YOUR HEARTBEAT OKAY?" Chiyo exclaims, grabbing my wrist to look at my HRD.

Soon enough, I'm engulfed in an ocean of female students, offering me water and ice-pads and questioning my health, hands touching all over me for any signs of sickness.

**NO ONE'S P.O.V.**

"All that fussing over a little heart problem." Hikaru and Kaoru murmur, glaring daggers at Kosuke's back, which is almost completely concealed through the crowd of female students fussing all over him.

"Maybe it isn't little. Maybe it's serious," Haruhi comments from behind them. All of the customers are now crowded around Kosuke, so in a way, the Hosts have a little break.

"It can be, if not watched carefully," Kyoya's voice drones from behind his black notebook. Today, Kyoya is dressed as a baron, complete with a purple, green, and silver patterned coat, green breeches, a lace jabot, and purple buckle-shoes.

All of the Hosts turn to him suspiciously. "Kyo-chan, did you know about Kosu-chan's heart problem?" Honey asks, brown eyes wide. Honey is dressed as a bishop, in a gold miter, a white phelonion, a gold sticharion, and a blue sash. Beside him, Mori is dressed as a knight, wearing black satin knickers style pants, a purple velveteen tunic-style top with attached sleeves and a black cape, the Ouran crest as an accent on the chest, a silver fabric cowl attached to a fabric crown with fake jewels, a silver fabric belt and brown leather boots.

"Actually, yes. Kosuke-san comes into one of the Ootori family's local hospitals every month for a check-up." Kyoya replies, pausing in his writing. "We actually have no idea what it is. It seems like cardiac arrhythmia, but her condition doesn't match it perfectly."

"That must be why he has to have a private physical education period." Haruhi comments, looking up at the ceiling thoughtfully. The Hosts take this new piece of information in with widened eyes.

"Why didn't you say anything before?!" Tamaki flames, turning on Kyoya. As a king, Tamaki is dressed in a gold tunic with an attached red cape, an Ouran crest brooch, a brown leather belt, gold gauntlets, gold leg guards, gold epaulets, brown leather boots, and a gold crown studded with fake jewels.

"You never asked," Kyoya replies, as if it were the most obvious answer in the world.

"Hey!"

**KOSUKE'S P.O.V.**

All eyes-the Hosts', the customers', and mine-turn to the door, where a teenage boy is standing. He's as tall as Mori, and he looks really..._intriguing, _in a scary way. His skin is tan, covered in white scars, and his muscles are as big and as hard-looking as iron skillets. His sickly green eyes are narrow, and the eyebrows above them are thick. His brown hair is greasy and limp. He's wearing the male uniform, but it seems impossible that it came in a size that actually fitted him.

"Where's Misora?" the boy snarls, his lips pulling back to show ever-so-slightly-sharpened carnivore teeth. Everyone in the room shivers.

"Misora...who?" Tamaki asks, somewhat bravely and somewhat cowardly. It's brave to speak to the scary stranger, but as he says it, he's quaking and stark-white.

The boy's eyes narrow on Tamaki, and the blond teen shrinks back, hiding behind Kyoya. "Don't play dumb with me, Blondie. _Where. Is. Misora?_"

I hear Misora whisper, "Oh, no."

I turn to her. She's sitting on the edge of the couch, and Chiyo is holding her arm in a protective, comforting way, but she, too, looks concerned. Her green eyes are wide and her skin has gone stark white. "Ms. Kobayashi, whatever's the matter?" I ask, setting down one of the seventy-two glasses of water I had received.

"That's Osamu Tachibana," Chiyo answers instead, as Misora looks like her voice has disappeared. "Misora's _ex-_boyfriend." Emphasis on the _ex._ "She dumped him weeks ago, but he keeps acting like he owns her. He won't leave her alone."

"I can't believe he's here," Misora whimpers, clutching Chiyo's arm tightly.

I turn to Misora, a serious look on my face. "Ms. Kobayashi, he doesn't hurt you, does he?"

She shakes her head in an uneven manner. "No, no. But there have been close calls. And he gets angry with me if I don't do exactly what he says."

"Misora."

Osamu stomps over to our table, and the girls surrounding us shuffle and stumble to get out of the way. Osamu towers over Misora, his slime-green eyes going to slits. "Come on. We're leaving."

Misora's terrified face turns brave, brown eyebrows furrowed and mouth set in a stern frown. "No, I'm not. I'm staying here with Chiyo and Kosu-"

"You're coming with me, now!" Osamu growls, clamping one shovel-blade-sized hand on Misora's arm. Misora flinches, green eyes wide with fear.

Out of nowhere, a wild Kyoya appears, the other Hosts not too far away. Grey eyes serious, he says, "I'm going to have to ask you to leave now, or-"

"Out of the way, Four Eyes," Osamu grunts, using one gigantic arm to push Kyoya three feet away as he pulls Misora towards the door. Kyoya barely lets out a surprised sound, stumbling back. Two redheads quickly stop him from falling on his back.

With a deep breath, I stand up from my seat, walking towards Osamu and Misora. "Excuse me!"

**NO ONE'S P.O.V.**

"What's he doing?" Kaoru asks, his fox-like eyes wide as they watch Kosuke approach the bear-like teenager.

"He's gonna get himself killed!" Hikaru adds, his jaw slack with shock and horror.

Meanwhile, Kosuke approaches Osamu, her fake, ruby-red eyes narrowed and her jaw set. Her heartbeat _ever-so-slightly _quickened, she walks until she's two feet in front of Osamu, her head up to his chest. "I apologize, but I believe Ms. Kobayashi wants to stay here. So I'd greatly appreciate it if you let her go."

The Hosts watch this, beads of sweat rolling down their faces. "He's even polite when he's angry," Haruhi murmurs.

Osamu lets go of Misora's arm, and the brunette runs over to all of the customers (who were packed into a group), where she's immediately welcomed with urgent, comforting arms and questions.

Osamu doesn't show any sign of leaving. He takes a step forward, so close that Kosuke has to crane her neck to look up at him, and she has to hold her breath to block out the disgusting smell. "And just who are you, Pint-Size?"

Kosuke never backs down in the slightest, but her shoulders square a bit. "Kosuke Nakahara, sir. I'm one of Misora's friends." Her hand twitches like she's considering holding it out, but it just ends up clenching into a fist.

Osamu snorts like a pig. "Awww, is little Pint-Size in love-love with Misora?"

Kosuke's eyes widen, and a blush covers her face. "N-no! I just care about her and-"

Suddenly, Osamu grabs Kosuke by the back of her neck, lifting her off the ground by three feet. The customers in the room give one gigantic gasp, with one or two small screams. Kosuke bites down a whimper. Osamu's pulling on skin of her neck. Osamu leans into Kosuke's face, his green eyes fiery with fury. _"You listen here, Pint-Size. Stay. Away. From. Misora. Or you're gonna regret it."_

To prove a point, Osamu tightens his grip on Kosuke's neck, pinching the skin tightly. A strained whimper comes from her throat, and her grip on his arm tightens.

"Let go of Kosuke-san."

Osamu raises a bushy eyebrow as he turns to his right. All of the Hosts are glaring at him, jaws set and eyes narrowed. Tamaki, who had just spoken, no longer looks scared or trembling, but he now looks angry and threatening. Kosuke had never seen him in such a way.

Honey, clutching Usa-Chan tightly, adds, _"Now."_

Osamu just stares at them a moment, his eyes flashing in annoyance and anger. Kosuke's eyes switch from the Hosts to Osamu, filled with pain and anxiety.

After what seems like forever, Osamu chuffs like a tiger and lets go of Kosuke. Kosuke braces herself for impact on the floor, but instead, two sets of arms latch themselves under _her_ arms. Looking up, she sees Hikaru and Kaoru, who continue to glare acidly at Osamu.

"Whatever," Osamu grunts, pulling the door open. "Just stay away from Misora, you got that, Pint-Size?"

**KOSUKE'S P.O.V.**

Osamu slams the door so hard that every person in the room flinches (except for Mori and Kyoya, of course.) There's a few ticks of stunned, angry silence. Then, Hikaru and Kaoru turn to me, eyes filled, for once, concern. "You OK?"

"Yes, sirs," I reply, rubbing the sore skin on my neck. "I believe it's just my neck."

"That was really mean," Honey says, still glaring at the door as if Osamu was still there.

"Kosuke-san!"

A different pair of arms latch around my waist from behind, tearing the twins' arms from me. I stumble forward, almost losing my footing. I then realize that the person hugging me is Misora, and I can feel her trembling madly. "He didn't hurt you, did he? Are you OK? I'm so, so sorry, Kosuke-san."

I smile a bit and turn around so that I can hug her back. I can feel her tears on the front of my shirt, and her soft sobs are being muffled by the fabric. "I'm perfectly fine, Ms. Kobayashi, truly. And there's no reason to apologize. You didn't do a single thing."

Misora nods shakily, and I smile a bit wider and pat her back.

_"THIS IS SO ROMANTIC!"_

The ground underneath my feet begins to quake, and I hear electricity crackling somewhere beneath me. Around me, the other Hosts have beads of sweat rolling down their faces. Looking over my shoulder, I see the tile floor split in a square hole, and a round platform begins to spin out of it. On top of the pillar is a girl with long, orange-brown hair and darker eyes. She's laughing in a sort of boisterous manner. The pillar stops, and the girl points a finger at me, a microphone to her lips. "YOU STOOD UP TO A TREACHEROUS BULLY TO PROTECT THE WOMAN YOU LOVE! I'VE NEVER SEEN SUCH COMMITMENT! I COULD JUST EAT THREE BOWLS OF RICE!"

I stare at the girl with blank eyes. Gesturing with a hand, I turn to the Hosts, but before I even ask, Kyoya answers, "Renge Houshakuji, foreign exchange student."

I open my mouth again, and this time, Haruhi says, "And the Club's manager."

I open my mouth once more, and the twins answer, "And we have no idea where the pillars come from."

"YOU ALL KNOW WHAT'S GOING TO HAVE TO HAPPEN NOW, RIGHT?" 'Renge' exclaims, echoing voice filled with such excitement and awe that our hair is blown by it.

No one answers at all.

"NOW KOSUKE-SAN HAS TO GO BATTLE THE EVIL OSAMU FOR MISORA'S AFFECTIONS!" Renge proclaims, and Misora blooms bright red, hiding behind me more.

"I haven't the slightest idea where you would get such a ridiculous idea, but I don't believe in violence," I tell the Renge, frowning.

However, this only causes Renge to fall on her knees, tears streaming down her face in a hysterical manner. "OF COURSE NOT! YOU'RE TOO PERFECTLY POLITE!"

Sweat rolls down my face in my confusion. Then, Kyoya turns to the large group of girls and says, "I think we should close the Host Club a bit early today."

The girls nod and agree, and Tamaki and I hold the doors open for them. As a still-blushing Misora leaves in front of her (with a barely audible 'bye',) Chiyo turns to me and says, "Thanks, Kosuke-san. This means a lot to the both of us."

"You're most welcome," I bow to her respectively, and I close the door behind her.

Suddenly, Tamaki's face is right in front of mine, face red with anger with spittle at the corners of his lips. You can see an angry aura around him. I flinch. "WHAT WAS THAT?!"

"Pardon?" I murmur, stunned solid.

Tamaki waves his arms back and forth like a madman, and I bite down a giggle. "YOU! AND OSAMU! AND THE THREATS! AND THE RENGE!"

"What Tamaki is trying to say is that while that was a very brave thing for you to do, Osamu could have very much hurt you." Kyoya explains, shutting his black notebook to look up at me with hard gray eyes.

I tilt my head to the right in confusion. "Whyever would he do that?"

"Because he's a dim-witted blunder-head, that's why," the twins answered. Then they cross their arms. "Why were you being so polite to him?"

"What do you mean?"

"You seemed like you were angry, but you were still polite to Osamu. You kept calling him 'sir' and stuff." Haruhi answers, fixing me with a look. Inside the look, I could see the message, _'Kosuke, he didn't know you were a girl. He could have seriously hurt you.' _I can feel Kyoya giving me the same look.

"I suppose I'm just polite to a fault," I bow to the Hosts apologetically, heartbeat slowing down. "I apologize if I did something wrong..."

"You didn't do anything wrong," Haruhi sighs, setting a comforting hand between my shoulders. "Just be more careful, OK?"

"Yes, ma'am."


	5. The Battle of the Century Part 2

That day turned to the next day in the blink of an eye. Minami had had a little play-date with a new friend yesterday (I'm so proud of her!), and she went to bed early. Rituko went to martial-arts and came home later than usual. Honami hadn't heard of the Osamu incident (thank goodness!) and I decided not to tell her, as I don't think she fully believed me when I said no one was picking on me yesterday.

Last night, I drifted into a dreamless sleep, to my benefit.

Now, I'm shutting the door to our minivan, about to head to my classroom. As per usual, Chiyo and Misora are waiting for me at the top of the stairs. Chiyo is smiling softly, but Misora has her eyes cast down to her Mary-Janes. I take note at how the passing students are giving Misora looks of sympathy, and me looks of praise, which is something I'm not entirely fond of. I don't want people to think I'm high-and-mighty. I'm just the opposite.

Hardly a few 'hellos' are exchanged as we began our trek. I finally turn to Misora, bending down so that she can see me, at least out of her peripheral vision. "Ms. Kobayashi, whatever is the matter? Is it Mr. Tachibana?"

A few heads turn when I say his name, but I choose to ignore them. Misora sighs and looks up, not at me, but into the space in front of her. "No."

"Ms. Kobayashi, I apologize, but I can very much tell you're lying."

Misora looks at me with startled green eyes, her jaw slack. "But...how-"

"You're eyes squint when you're lying."

Misora blushes a bit and looks back down at her Mary Janes. "Yes, it's Osamu."

I slow down a bit, and the two girls do the same. "Ms. Kobayashi, has he insulted you? Or hurt you?"

Misora doesn't really answer, but her head ducks lower.

I come to a halt. Chiyo stops a few feet away, watching us with worry. I put a comforting hand on Misora's back, and I can feel her tense up. "Misora."

The lack of the 'Ms. Kobayashi' seems to break her. She spins to look at me, her green eyes wide with an emotion I can't name. Her hands are trembling as she says, "It was barely even a slap, I swear it, Kosuke-san! Really! I hardly even-"

"Misora."

I break off her rambling my lifting up her chin between my index finger and my thumb. Her cheeks tinge pink, and she sucks in a surprised breath. Now with her attention, I drop my hand and give her a serious look. "You don't deserve this. He has no right to hurt you like this. He doesn't have the right to..."

My words become softer as I speak. Then, with a deep, short breath, I say, "I'm going to talk to him at lunch."

She gasps, and she starts to retort, but I harden my ruby-red gaze on her. "Misora."

Misora sighs and nods, looking back down at her feet. She says something, but I can't tell if it's an 'I'm sorry,' or a 'Thank You.'

The rest of the walk to class is silent.

* * *

_**Lunch **_

**NO ONE'S P.O.V.**

"Where is that man?!" Tamaki cries for the seventh time ever since the bell rang for lunch. He's standing on his seat, turning around in half-circled to take in the cafeteria surroundings.

Tamaki had proclaimed that, as an official Host now, Kosuke was to sit with the rest of the Hosts at their table. Haruhi denied this, informing him that Kosuke always went to sit with Chiyo and Misora, but Tamaki, as usual, went with his plan. But now the plan is going downhill, as the ruby-eyed blond is nowhere to be seen.

"Maybe he's eating lunch in the classroom," Kyoya offers.

"But why would he-WAIT! MISORA-SAN! CHIYO-SAN!" Tamaki takes off like a bullet, heading straight for the brunettes. The other Hosts watch as the blond disappears into the crowd.

"Looks like you just got a new brother, Haruhi," the twins comment, looking at the short-haired brunette with playful smiles.

"It's not as bad as it sounds, to me," Haruhi replies. At least now someone else can feel the hardship that is Tamaki Suoh.

_**"GENTLEMEN!"**_

Speak of the devil.

Tamaki appears at their table so fast flames bloom from his footsteps. His violet eyes are wide in panic and fear, and his blond hair is stuck up on end. Kyoya is the first to say, "What's wrong, Tamaki?"

"Was there another cockroach at the salad bar?" the twins' eyes are glinted in a mischievous manner.

Tamaki rounds on the ginger-headed siblings, flames in his eyes. "I TOLD YOU BOTH NOT TO MENTION THAT AGAIN!" Tamaki settles down some, but not very much. "AND NO! **KOSUKE'S GOING TO TALK WITH OSAMU **_**RIGHT NOW!"**_

"WHAT?!" The other Hosts cry in a panic (except for Kyoya, though he does raise a surprised eyebrow.)

* * *

**KOSUKE'S P.O.V.**

After asking around for directions, I finally manage to find the Karate Team Room, which is about three halls down from Music Room #3. With a deep breath, I take the brass knob in my hand and push the door open.

The room is bigger than Music Room #3, and that doesn't surprise me. There are seven red cushioned mats in each corner, each containing one or two karatekas, with watching audiences. Practice dummies are set up to the left wall, and to the right wall, there is a gigantic shelf filled with karate gear and training weapons. The walls are adorned in drapes that depict symbols, quotes, or silhouettes of karatekas. The very top of the walls depict the past sensei. In the center of the room, there's a circular arena, about the size of one and a half eighteen-wheelers. Two sets of ten-rowed bleachers are curved around the arena, one row on top of the other, with long wooden benches in front of them.

The room is filled with tons of karatekas, from white belts to black belts, but I'm only focusing on Osamu, who's in the middle of the arena.

I close the door behind me and stride in his direction. As I walk, the other karatekas stop in their training and glare at me a few moments before following me.

_Kosuke, unless you wish to die, don't do anything stupid._

My heel touches the ring of the arena just as the guy whom Osamu was fighting hits the floor with a grunt, not an inch from the tip of my shoe. It was then that Osamu, clad in a white uniform and-note-_black belt, _chooses to notice me. At first he looks a bit surprised (an odd look for him), then he looks...well, downright _scary. _His eyes narrow two slits, his bushy eyebrows go lower down dramatically, and his lips pull back into a silent snarl. Just as the guy he had just beat down stands up, he pushes him out of the way (sending him sailing) and steps a half-foot in front of me. "What do you think you're doing here, Half-Pint?"

"I wish to talk to you about Misora."

Osamu practically radiates with annoyance and anger. _"I thought I told you to stay away from Misora."_

"I apologize, this doesn't concern _me. _This concerns Misora. Sir, with all due respect, I request that you refrain from mistreating Misora. I understand that you have anger issues, and I respect that, but that is no reason to take it out on others, especially someone as kind and caring as Misora!"

The crowd of karatekas surrounding us explode in guffaws of laughter. Jeers and taunts are shouted at me, and I feel a bit of my dignity chip away. The laughter ceases into 'oohs' and 'yeahs' when Osamu latched his meaty hand around my throat, lifting me up three feet just as he did the day before. My hands, like a toy's compared to his, dig into his wrist in a feeble effort to get him to let go. His grip wasn't tight enough to cut off my air supply, but it was enough to show me that he wouldn't hesitate to do so.

_"Listen, Pint-Size, cos I'm only going to say this once. You. Me. Here. After school. Winner gets Misora."_

"But I-"

I'm cut off as Osamu grips my neck tighter, causing me to choke a bit.

He grips my neck a little bit tighter before chucking me to the floor. I land on my back, skidding a bit, fabric-covered elbows scraping against the rough material of the arena. The karatekas burst into booming laughter, praising Osamu and giving him punches on the arm (which is how I guess is how guys compliment each other.)

Great. Now I really AM fighting for Misora's affections.

Not that I intend to fight. I intend to just come here after school and talk this out.

With nothing else to do (unless I wish for serious organ damage), I pick myself up and turn to the door.

I pull the door close behind me...

...and I'm glomped by a flash of blue and yellow.

"WHAT WERE YOU THINKING?!" Tamaki screams at me, towering over me in such a rage that it feels as if he's three times my size. "YOU CAN'T JUST APPROACH OSAMU ON YOU'RE OWN, SURROUNDED BY DOZENS MORE OF THOSE BARBARIANS, NO LESS!"

"I wasn't planning to fight him," I insist, waving my hands a bit in an effort to calm him down.

The twins suddenly appear behind Tamaki, looking just as angry as they cross their arms, "What do you mean, 'wasn't planning'?"

A bead of sweat rolls down my face nervously. I hadn't just let that slip, had I? "Mr. Tachibana...may or may not...have told me to meet him here after school...for a fight, maybe..."

"..."

"..."

"..."

"..."

"..."

"..._**WHAT?!**_" Hikaru, Kaoru, Haruhi, and Tamaki scream at me in one perfect, shrill voice. I flinch back.

"I wasn't planning on it, I promise! He's just misguided."

"Misguided, my foot!" Hikaru and Kaoru scoff, still glaring at me.

"I'm not going to fight him," I tell them all calmly. "I'm going to come to the Karate Room, but I'm just going to talk to him about it. No fighting whatsoever."

"BUT YOU CAN'T-"

Tamaki's voice is cut off by the _DONG DONG DONG DONG DONG _of the clock-tower, telling everyone to go to back to class for fifth period. "I'll be seeing you all tomorrow, I suppose. Goodbye," I tell them all with a bow.

Before anyone can retort, I dash off to get to class.


	6. The Battle of the Century Part 3

_DONG DONG DONG_

"Not bad, Kosuke-kun. But your somersaults are a bit rusty. We'll work on 'em more tomorrow. Have a nice evening."

I wave the sensei goodbye, panting heavily. Wiping off the sweat of my forehead with the back of my arm, I look at my HRD. Still green, and not too high. Not bad. I turn on my heel to walk to the locker-rooms. As I enter the hallways, girls smile at me and give me thumbs-up, and I smile back and wave shyly. Was getting nearly pummeled by a bully really considered an act of bravery?

After doing a quick outfit-change in the locker-room, I walk back out into the hall, thoughts racing. Is Misora alright, or is she crying right now? Is Kyoya going go kill me for not showing up at the Host Club? What if I end up getting pummeled by Osamu? What if he finds out I'm a girl when he's beating me to a pulp?

These thoughts make my head cloudier and my walking slower, heavier.

_Ko, if anyone ever wants to hurt you, don't fight them. Just talk to them like you always do. Words are the best weapons._

I snap out of the memory that seemed to have happened centuries ago. I become aware that I've completely stopped, and now I'm just standing smack in the middle of the hall, staring into space. With a huff, I begin to walk again, a bit faster than before.

After passing Music Room #3 (I considered going inside for just a minute, but I decided against that), I make my way to the Karate Room. I stare at the pink wood of the door, thinking, _Osamu'll kill you for sure. Just turn around, find a phone, and call Mother so she can take you home and-_

No. I have to. For Misora.

I push the door open before I can think any other second-thoughts.

_"THERE HE IS!"_

"Gah!" I scream as I jump a foot in the air, taking in the sight before me.

All of the mats have been abandoned by their karatekas. In fact, the majority of the room is abandoned, save for the arena. The left bleachers are filled with all of the karatekas in the Karate Team, who, on sight of me, immediately throw taunts and jeers and very filthy words my way. The right bleachers, in stark contrast, are filled with the entire Host Club and all of its customers. All of the customers are sending cheers and compliments my way, and some of them are holding up signs and banners depicting encouraging words, as well as my name.

In the front of the right bleachers, Haruhi, Mori, and Kyoya are the only Hosts that are staying perfectly still, with Haruhi waving and smiling at me. Honey is jumping up and down in his seat, cheering "Go Kosuke!" over and over. The twins are both holding red-and-pale-yellow pom-poms, I guess to match my eye and hair color, whilst cheering "Kosuke, Kosuke, he's our man! If he can't do it, no one can!" as they dance around. Tamaki, is leading the crowd in a chorus of "Give me a K! Give me an O! Give me an S!" and so forth. I can also see Misora, who has her head ducked into Chiyo's shoulder, blushing as red as an apple. Poor girl.

A massive drop of sweat rolls down my temple. "Mr. Suoh, what are you all doing?!"

"Cheering off our comrad as he goes into battle, of course!" Tamaki proclaims, flashing a smile as he points a finger at me. He then turns back to the crowd, singing, "GIVE ME A U!"

_"U!"  
_

"Looks like you finally made it, Pint-Size."

The room goes dead silent as all eyes turn to the center of the arena, where Osamu is standing. Just as he was earlier today, he's wearing a white uniform and a black belt. He has his arms crossed, and he's staring at me with a sickly smile. "Ready to get your face carved in the floor?"

"I don't intend for that to happen."

I didn't mean a _single_ thing about it, but a chorus of 'oohs' rings out from the karatekas, as if I'd just insulted Osamu. Osamu doesn't say anything, but he smiles wider and his eyes narrow more. "Better keep your fingers crossed, then, Pint-Size."

**NO ONE'S P.O.V.**

As the sensei was not present for the fight (he wouldn't allow it whatsoever), a random karateka with spiky black hair steps forward, standing between Osamu and Kosuke. "Alright, here are the rules..." the karateka stops as he looks over at Kosuke, who's still standing next to the door, twenty-or-thirty feet away. With a hand, he waves her over.

"Oh, I apologize," she mumbles, half-walking, half-running to the other half of the ring.

"Anyway, here are the rules," the karateka continues, "One) stay within the limit of the ring. Two) No direct strikes to the face. Three) First one to score wins Misora's affections, and the match is over."

In the bleachers, Misora glows as red as a firework, trying to hide herself in Chiyo's shoulder as much as she can.

"The fighters have three minutes until the match begins."

Back in the bleachers, Haruhi is craning her neck around, searching the two crowds in the bleachers. After a minute, she hums.

Honey leans forward to look around Mori's body. "What is it, Haru-chan?"

"Nothing. I just thought-"

"HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"

"-Renge would be here."

Of course, as she says this, the floor next to the bleachers splits apart, and the infamous platform spins out, and on top of it, there's the manager of the Host Club. Today, she has her orange-brown hair in many waves, tied back with a navy-blue ribbon. She's wearing a long, lacy black petticoat over a black dress covered in white roses. In one of her glove-covered hands, she's holding a silver parasol with sharp lace.

"OF COURSE I WOULD BE HERE!" Renge booms, still smiling like a maniac. "THIS IS THE MOST ROMANTIC BATTLE IN HISTORY! I COULDN'T MISS THE CHANCE OF A LIFETIME!"

"Ren-chan, what're you wearing?" Honey asks, looking Renge's outfit up and down.

Glowing with pride, Renge spins in a circle, letting the dress twirl. "Isn't it obvious? I'm Hatsu Sato from _Bloodlust Vampirica. _I use my parasol to pierce the hearts of bloodthirsty vampires!" She proclaims, holding up her silver umbrella.

The twins raise eyebrows. "How?"

"Like this, see?" Renge pushes her parasol open, and a fist-sized spike comes from the end, with the hem of it lined with smaller spikes, all razor-sharp.

The Hosts (most of them) screams and jumps back.

"Relax, it's just plastic," Renge huffs, closing the parasol once more. The Hosts sigh in relief.

"Alright!"

All eyes turn back to the arena. Kosuke and Osamu are facing each other, Osamu prideful and boisterous, fists raised and feet apart, Kosuke perfectly calm and collective, having not moved an inch. Renge gasps and pulls a bag of popcorn out of nowhere. "IT'S STARTING!"

"The match will commence in three...two...o-"

"Hold up."

The karateka stops as Osamu holds up a meaty hand. The beast-like teenager takes one step forward, but Kosuke never steps back. When Osamu raises a hand, the Kosuke-crowd stiffens (the Osamu-crowd chuckled).

Osamu grabs Kosuke's wrist. Before Kosuke can take it back, he raises it up, pulling down the sleeve, putting the HRD in plain view. "What's this, Pint-Size?"

The two crowds speak at once. The Osamu-crowd cries, "Cheat!", "No cheating!", "No devices allowed!". The Kosuke-crowd cries, "No!", "He's not cheating!", "It's a medical condition!"

Osamu, of course, only pays mind to his crowd. Holding Kosuke's wrist up higher, he takes hold of the HRD, whispers, "No cheating, Pint-Size," and snaps it right in half.

Kosuke can only watch as the Heart-Rating Device gets snapped right in half, wires splitting and two or three sparks flying. Smirking, Osamu takes the destroyed device and chucks it across the room.

The Osamu-crowd cheers. Almost everyone on the Kosuke-bleachers jumps up on their feet, shouting and screaming angrily, red-faced and crazy-eyed.

"Hey, that was mean!" Honey exclaims, clutching Usa-chan tightly.

"No fair!" Haruhi adds.

**"**THAT'S RUBBISH!"The twins chorus.

"Foulplay!" Tamaki shouts loud enough for everyone to here.

"Foulplay!" The other Hosts repeat.

"Foulplay! Foulplay! Foulplay!" The crowd chants over and over, shaking their fists and stomping their feet.

_**"SHUT UP!"**_

The entire Kosuke-crowd sits straight down in their seats, dead silent at Osamu's sudden outburst. Especially Tamaki, who's stark-white and whimpering. _"Rubbish," _the twins whisper.

Satisfied, Osamu says, "Go on," to the karateka, never taking his sickly eyes off of Kosuke.

"Three...two...one...FIGHT!"

Immediately, Kosuke begins to speak in a quick voice, "Mr. Tachibana, I really don't want to fight-"

_"You're dead, Pint-Size."_

Kosuke ducks back just in time to avoid Osamu''s foot before it collides with her face. She can barely hear the two crowd cheering and jeering over her own thoughts of _Talk and dodge talk and dodge talk and dodge talk and dodge..._

"Mr. Tachibana,, I'd appreciate it if you'd listen," Kosuke says as she dodges a punch, "I don't want to handle this with violence." Air kick. "I just want to talk this out like gentlemen." Double-punch.

_"I gave you a chance, Pint-Size."_

Kosuke jumps as Osamu tries to trip her with his leg.

_"I told you to leave Misora alone."_

Kosuke ducks as Osamu swings a huge arm at her head.

_"But you just wouldn't listen."_

As Kosuke steps to the right to avoid a punch, she says, "I didn't intend to disrespect your wishes. But you don't have any right to harm Misora!"

"I CAN DO WHATEVER I WANT TO HER, AND YOU CAN'T STOP ME!"

The crowd gasps as Kosuke dodges a double-punch, a kick, and a hichu-punch all in one move.

"Mr. Tachibana, I'd greatly appreciate it if you'd-"

"NO, PINT-SIZE. _YOU_ LISTEN. MISORA. BELONGS. TO _ME_. SHE'S **MINE.**AND _**YOU?!"**_

Time comes to a slow as Osamu grabs the front of Kosuke's blazer, pulling her only two inches from his face. Kosuke's ruby eyes widen and her jaw slackens at the next words that leave Osamu's mouth.

_"You were just meant to be alone."_

And Osamu's fist collides with Kosuke's face with a thundering crack.

The Kosuke-crowd screams shrilly, clutching each other.

The Osamu-crowd explodes into cheers.

Misora screeches, tears exploding from her eyes.

Renge faints with a cry.

Tamaki jumps back in shock and horror.

The twins exclaim in unison.

Honey cries out, clutching Usa-chan as tight as possible.

Mori's lips part, and his eyebrows furrow.

Kyoya gasps, his grey eyes wide behind his glasses.

Haruhi, her brown eyes wide and frantic as she jumps up on her feet, is the only one to speak. _**"KOSUKE!**__"_

Kosuke sails back, her body skidding across the rough floor of the arena, scraping at her back and elbows. For a moment or two, she's silent and limp, but then she begins to sit up, pulling her knees in. The Kosuke-crowd sits on the edge of their seats. Kosuke brings a hand up to her face, and it touches something wet and warm. She pulls her hand back, covered in red. Blood.

"The winner of this fight is Osamu!"

The Osamu-crowd runs from their seats to go congratulate their captain, who's giving Kosuke a snarling smile. The Kosuke-crowd is trying desperately to get the karateka to recount the victory, shouting pleas and begs like there was no tomorrow.

"Hey, that's not fair!" Tamaki cries, glaring and pointing at the karateka.

"No direct strikes to the face!" the twins shout at the karateka, waving their pom-poms frantically.

Haruhi pulls her hands into fists. "Well, of course, it's alright if _Osamu _does it! It's OK if _he _cheats!"

"KOSUKE!" Misora screams from her seat, tears still spilling from her watery green eyes. Chiyo is trying to calm her down, to no avail. "KOSUKE, ARE YOU ALRIGHT?!"

Kosuke looks up from her bloodied hand at Misora. Drawing her knee in front of her, she sets her hand on it, trying to stand up-

And Osamu's foot collides with her stomach, sending her flying backwards. _"Where do you think you're going, Pint-Size?"_

The Kosuke-crowd gasps, too shocked to shout or scream at the beastly teenager that had just kicked the innocent teenager in the stomach. Even the Osamu-crowd goes silent, confused and shocked at what their captain had just done.

_"Was getting your face punched in _not _enough for you?"_

Kosuke groans as she lays on her stomach, a drop or two of blood hitting the floor from her nose. After a moment, she sets her palms and knees against the floor of the arena, raising herself up.

Once again, Osamu's foot collides with her stomach, sending her on her side, trying to protect her stomach with her arms.

_"Do I need to repeat myself?"_

Kosuke hardly even moves before he kicks her stomach once more.

_"'You were meant to be alone.'"_

Kosuke groans as Osamu kicks her once more.

Haruhi jumps up from her seat, and tries to run forward, but a karateka stops her from running into the arena. "No bystanders in the ring."

_"Misora is __**mine. **__She belongs to __**me**__. You belong to __**no one, **__and you belong __**NOWHERE!"**_

Osamu kicks her one last time, this time hardest of all, almost breaking some ribs. When Kosuke doesn't move, and doesn't speak, Osamu scoffs and turns on his heel, muttering, _"Weak."_

Osamu returns to the karatekas, who are all hesitant to congratulate him, and when they do, there's only one or two "good jobs."

"Kosuke!" Haruhi called.

"Kosu-chan, are you alright?" Honey asked worriedly, standing up in his seat.

Kosuke doesn't respond for a moment. She just sits in the same position for a moment, clutching her stomach. She then begins to moan and stir. Setting her palm against her knee, she pushed herself up-

_**"AH!"**_

_**"KOSUKE!"**_

**KOSUKE'S P.O.V.**

_Ow ow ow ow ow ow ow OW OW OW OW OW! Stay calm stay calm OW OW IT HURTS! Breathe breathe breathe, it hurts to breathe! AH! OW! IT BURNS! __**IT BURNS! MY HEART! IT'S ON FIRE!**_

These thoughts race through my mind as I lay crumpled on the floor, clutching my heart, which is going crazy, beating hard and ragged. Every time it beats, an explosion of pain rips through my chest, flaming hot. My ears are pounding and my vision is going blurry.

_Heart attack._

"KOSUKE!"

I can just barely hear my name over the pounding in my ears. I can feel someone crouching next to me, setting their hands on my arm. I can make out brown hair...brown eyes...Haruhi?

"Turn him over," a new voice says. Kyoya, I think. I can feel someone turning me over so that I'm flat on my back, but this just makes my heart burn more. Another pair of hands undoes the buttons of my blazer, and then the same pair of hands takes off my tie. "Keep him calm." Kyoya's hands press against my breast-bone over and over, trying to trick my heart into getting stable again.

"Kosuke? You're going to be OK, just take deep breaths. We're gonna get you some help." The blurred face of Haruhi looks up to yell, "Can someone please call an ambulance?"

"My phone's in my locker," a female voice says, "I'll go get it." I hear feet running from the room.

"Is Kosu-chan OK?" Honey's voice says, and I think I can make out the outline of him holding Usa-chan, with Mori right behind him.

"Is there anything we can do?" Two sets of gold eyes look down at me. The twins.

"Gentlemen, let's give Kosuke some room," Tamaki's voice, sounding so far away, says, and everyone (minus Kyoya and Haruhi) backs away.

"KOSUKE!"

A pair of green eyes appear, and I can make out the twinkle of tears in them. Misora. "Is there anything I can do to help?"

"No, but you can stay next to him. I'm sure it'll help calm him down." Kyoya says, never stopping from pounding on my heart.

"Kosuke?" Misora's blurry image defines a bit, enough to tell what part of her is actually her and not just a blob of color. "Kosuke, if you're alright, just do something, OK? Say something." Her hand gently takes mine. "Squeeze my hand, if you can't speak. Just please show me that you're going to be alright!"

Although it hurts, I squeeze Misora's hand. My throat is extremely dry, too dry to talk. Misora smiles a bit, but tears are still brimming her eyes. "alright, good."

"You have got to be kidding me." Anger bubbles in me at the sound of Osamu's angry voice. "Misora, get away from that loser!"

"SHUT UP, OSAMU! JUST SHUT UP!" Misora screams, dropping my hand to stand up and face Osamu angrily. "WHAT IS THE MATTER WITH YOU? ALL KOSUKE WANTED TO DO WAS _TALK _TO YOU, AND LOOK AT WHAT YOU DID TO HIM! HE COULD BE _DYING _RIGHT NOW, AND IT'S ALL YOUR FAULT! _YOU'RE A MONSTER! I NEVER WANT TO SEE YOU AGAIN! __**I HATE YOU!**_"

I have no idea what Osamu does or says, or what his face looks like, but I wish I could see it. Because I already know this is likely going to be the last time I'll ever see Osamu. Hopefully.

I feel a jump in my heartbeat. My eyesight defines, and it returns to normal. My heart is beating normally again (just a bit quicker than usual), and the pain has stopped coming in explosions, but I'm still hurting all over, and my head is spinning. Kyoya's voice says, "His heartbeat's stable again. But it may come back in a minute." Haruhi sighs in relief.

I can hear the sound of the door flying open, and the voice from a minute ago says, "OK. I called the ambulance."

"I...don't believe...I need one..." I say, and I wince at how raspy and dry my voice is. "I believe...I'm fine..."

"You may feel fine, but it won't hurt to be sure," Kyoya replies.

* * *

And so, the next few hours would be the talk of the school for weeks to come.

The ambulance arrived, and with it, five police cars, the Karate-Team sensei, the vice-principal, and one firetruck (don't ask me what the firetruck was for). I was taken to the ambulance whilst everyone else, karatekas, ladies, and Hosts alike, were being questioned. Most of the questions simply consisted of "What happened here?" and "Who all did this?"

Of course, my Mother was called, and she immediately showed up at the school, along with Honami, Rituko, and Minami. Minami didn't cry, but she was really scared, and she stuck by me as I was being tended to. Rituko and Honami were a different story. They had to be held back by the firemen before they could skin Osamu alive. I've never seen Honami and Rituko so furious before, red-faced and murderous-looking, trying to push past the firemen to sink their claws into Osamu's face.

Osamu was charged with criminal violence. Honami tried to charge him with attempted murder, but I stopped that from happening. On top of that, the Karate sensei kicked Osamu out of the club for 'disgracing his karate skills,' and on top of _that, _the vice president expelled Osamu from Ouran. As if that weren't bad enough, Osamu's mother (who is even more muscular and taller than Osamu himself, which really scared me) dragged him by the ear into her car.

Now I'm sitting here, dangling my legs off the side of the ambulance, as the doctor finishes tending to me. Minami is sitting in my lap, waiting for the results with me.

"You're going to be fine," she says, writing something down on a slip of paper. A prescription, I think. "You're gonna get some nasty bruises, and you may have ever-so-slightly cracked a few ribs, but nothing serious whatsoever. Now, as for your heart condition. We have a medicine that won't exactly help the condition itself, but it will make heart attacks less likely to happen. Here," she hands me a slip of paper, with the medicine name and her signature on it, "Take this to the pharmacy. I'll give another one to the school so you can take daily doses. Take care."

"I appreciate it," I bow to her as she leaves, tucking the prescription into my pocket. "Hey, Little Mouse, why don't you go stay with Mother for a minute?"

"OK, Kosuke," Minami nods and I help her down from my lap. She runs off to go join Mother on a nearby bench.

"We got you some water."

I turn around to see the twins. Kaoru is holding out a bottle of water to me, so cold that condensation is dripping off of it. "I appreciate it, sirs," I tell them, taking the bottle and taking a sip.

"Kyoya told us go give you this."

Hikaru holds out a hand, and I look at what he's holding: an HRD, brand-new and undamaged. I take it from him with a nod, setting the bracelet-like-device on my wrist. I press the power-on button, and as the HRD tightens around my wrist, the words _HELLO, KOSUKE _appear on the small screen. The words are soon replaced by moving green lines, matching my heartbeat perfectly. "I'll have to thank Kyoya-san later."

"You're an idiot," Kaoru says.

"You know that, right?" Hikaru asks.

I sigh, a drop of sweat rolling down my face. "Yes, I know."

As the two identical brothers sit on either side of me, Kaoru asks, "Why did you talk to Osamu at lunch, anyway?"

Hikaru adds, "You must have known that he'd do something."

"I knew Mr. Tachibana would get angry, and I knew he'd likely harm me in some manner, but I was only trying to help Misora," I reply to them both, watching Misora as she talks to a black-haired police officer, Chiyo right next to her. "I didn't want anything harm to come to her any more than she wanted any harm to come to herself."

The twins don't say anything. I don't know if they're looking at me, or at Misora, or at something else, but I can tell their silence is understanding.

"I appreciate your cheering for me today," I tell them both. "That was a very nice thing for all of you to do."

"Yeah, well, you weren't expecting us to cheer for Osamu, were you?" They both ask, smiling. I chuckle.

"KOSUKE! KOSUKE, SWEETHEART, LET'S GO! I HAVE TO GET DINNER READY!" Mother calls, waving an arm to get my attention as she helps Minami into her seat.

"I'll be seeing you all tomorrow. Goodbye," I nod to Hikaru and Kaoru, hopping off the ambulance.

"Oh, wait, Kosuke?"

"Yes, sirs?"

"You don't have to call us 'sirs', or 'misters.'" Kaoru says.

"You can just call us by our names." Hikaru puts in.

"Yes, s-_Hikaru, Kaoru._ Goodbye." I wave at them one last time before running to our minivan.

**NO ONE'S P.O.V.**

As the twins watched Kosuke run to her family's minivan, the other Hosts appeared around them, watching the retreating fake-blond as well.

"He really is polite, isn't he, Takashi?" Honey said, and the black-haired teen replied, "Yeah."

"He _is _polite," Haruhi agreed. "Just to a fault..."

* * *

That night, I sit on the side of Minami's bed, the moonlight streaming through the window curtains. I smile at Minami as I kiss her forehead, pulling up the blankets to her chin.

"Kosuke?"

"Yes, Little Mouse?"

"Why did that mean boy hurt you?"

"Because he was a bad person."

"But people shouldn't hurt other people, no matter if they're good _or_ bad!"

"You're right, Little Mouse. But good people don't hurt other people. And you wanna know a secret?"

"What?"

"There are a lot more good people in the world than there are bad people. And you're one of them."

"Really?"

"Really truly. And good people go to sleep when it's their bedtime."

"I'M GOING TO GO TO SLEEP NOW!"

I chuckled. "Goodnight, Little Mouse."

"..."

"...Wow. You really are asleep."

Still chuckling, I fluff her pillow for her, turn of the light, and I close the door.

**Aaaaaand there's episode 2! I'm officially making the story's theme "At Least it was Here" by The 88. Again, if you want to correct me on something, or if you have an episode suggestion, just put them in your PMs and reviews!  
**


	7. The Great Circus Caper Part 1

Of course, word of the 'Osamu Attack', as it's being called, spread faster than a wildfire.

Boys and girls alike are congratulating me. The boys slap me on the back and give me thumbs-up as I pass them, and I have gotten the name of "The Expeller." The girls are ten times more ecstatic. As of now, days after the incident, I have 7 cakes, 16 cupcakes, and 27 cookies that need to be eaten at home. Girls talk to me more frequently, and I believe my popularity has skyrocketed. Even the teachers seem to be treating me differently, more pleasantly.

Today, there's no dressing theme, but Tamaki assured us that we're going to have a special event today. I told mom I wasn't sure wear we were going or when I would need to be picked up, but she just told me to call her to pick me up, and she gave me yen to spend. For the event, I was told to NOT wear my uniform, so after P.E., I changed into simple clothes: a white button-up shirt, a red hoodie, jeans, and checkered sneakers. My HRD was still clutched onto my wrists. I have to admit, it does feel weird walking around as a boy in something different from the uniform.

I open the door to Music Room #3, and when I do, my eyes widen. All of the Hosts are in casual wear (except for Honey and Mori, who are dressed in their usual clothes,) and when I open the door, Tamaki beams his usual smile. "There you are, Kosuke!" He looks at me a moment, then his eyes glitter with awe. "You look so cuuuuuute!" In casual wear, he's wearing a mint green shirt, a black jacket, jeans, and sneakers.

"I appreciate it," I say with a small smile, "If I may ask, what are we doing today?"

I must have asked the right question, because Tamaki beams and spins in a circle. "Gentlemen, we are going to the circus!"

There's a long silence.

"What?" we all ask in unison, eyebrows cocked.

"An American circus has arrived downtown and we just have to go to learn more about commoner culture!" Tamaki explains in a frenzy.

I look over at Haruhi. "I apologize, 'commoner culture'?"

Haruhi sighed, sweating a bit. "Don't ask." Today, she's wearing loose-fitting black t-shirt with 熱 in red, as well as cargo pants and black sneakers.

"I've already told all of our guests to head to the circus," Tamaki informs us, never ceasing in his smile, "And so, men, we must go to the circus this very instant!"

"I apologize, but how are we to get there?" I ask, raising an eyebrow. "None of you are old enough to drive."

"That's why I have a limo out front," Tamaki assures me. Then, he frowns, waving his arms at us. "Now let's go! We have a date with commoner culture!"

"Yay! Commoner circus! Commoner circus!" the twins cheered.

* * *

It took about twenty-five minutes to get to the circus, which was roughly in the outskirts of town. The circus consisted of one large tent that sloped upwards, jutted out, and pointed up to the sky. The tent was colored light blue, with gold flags all around. A large sign depicting _The Marquez Family Circus! (__マルケスファミリーサーカス！__)_ was slapped above the entrance. Teens, adults, and children poured into the tent like moths to a flame. I can make out many of our customers in the crowd.

"Isn't it magnificent?" Tamaki gushed, amazed tears pouring from his violet eyes.

"The Marquez Family Circus," Kyoya reads aloud, "I should have known. They come here annually. They bought this whole area."

"It's so big, isn't it Takashi?" Honey gasped, his brown eyes huge. Mori nodded with a hum.

"Come, gentlemen! Let's go get our tickets!" Tamaki pointed a finger at the entrance, and dashed off for it.

The inside of the tent looks bigger than the outside. There's a large circle in the center of the area, and bleachers surround it. A ring of lights lights up the area nicely. The voices of the audience fill the air around us.

As Tamaki pays for our tickets, the twins begin to sniff the air. They look more fox-like than ever. "What's that smell?"

I sniff the air myself, and I raise an eyebrow. "That's popcorn."

The twins cock their heads to the side. "'Popcorn'?"

"Yes," I answer. They don't say anything, and a bead of sweat rolls down my face. "You...don't know what popcorn is?"

"Is it commoner's food?" Kaoru and Hikaru ask, their golden eyes widening in anticipation.

"I..._suppose_, but I don't believe-"

Too late. Kaoru and Hikaru take of like bullets to the line at the popcorn machine. I sigh in exasperation, and I turn to Haruhi. "Are they usually like this?"

"You have no idea," Haruhi sighs.

"KOSUKE! KOSUKE, OVER HERE!"

Chiyo and Misora are waving their arms from across the tent area. Bidding goodbye to the other Hosts, I smile and walk over, sitting next to them on the cool metal bench.

"Hey, glad you made it!" Chiyo beams at me, deep blue eyes sparkling. This is the first time I've seen her (and Misora) dressed in anything other than their uniforms. Chiyo is wearing a white tank top, a grey blazer, blue jeans, a blue belt with a heart-shaped chain, and black flats. Her short black hair is pulled back by a blue headband.

"I'm glad you both came, as well," I smile kindly at them. Ever since the Osamu Attack, the three of us have gotten remarkably closer, and we now say each others' name without the '-san' at the end. It was times like these that I wish they knew I was a girl, but what if they found out now? What if they tell others, and I just end up getting bullied all over again?

"You look nice, today, Kosuke," Misora compliments me with a smile. She's dressed in a ruffled cream shirt, grey shorts, and black boots. Her long brown hair is pulled into a simple ponytail. A silver heart necklace hangs from her neck.

"As do you, Misora," I smile back at her kindly.

"Have you ever been to the circus, Kosuke?" Chiyo asks, setting the straw of her soda between her lips and taking a sip.

I hesitate, then I nod. "Once, when I was seven years old."

"We've never been to a circus before," Misora says, looking around at the area. Then, furrowing her brown eyebrows, she turns to me. "What do they do here, exactly?"

"They normally put on entertaining acts of sorts," I answer, recalling all of the acts I had seen when I was seven. "Normally consisting of trapeze acts, magic shows, and acts including animals."

"What kind of animals?" Chiyo and Misora ask, interested.

"Let's see...Lions, tigers, bears..."

"Oh my!" They both exclaim, holding a hand to their mouths.

"But they're all professionals," I assure them, smiling. "They never get hurt."

The entire tent is basked in blackness as the lights shut off. Next to me, Chiyo and Misora gasp. Across the entire tent area, I can hear Tamaki cry, _"IT'S STARTING!" _excitedly. There are a few beats of darkness and silence, and then a single spotlight hits the ringmaster. He's a sort of round man, with kind green eyes, a brown mustache that covers his mouth, and pale brown hair that descends down to his shoulder. He's wearing a gold vest over a silver button-up shirt, a purple bow-tie, a purple tailcoat, black pants, and black shoes. His brown hair is covered in a silver top-hat. He stands in the middle of the circle, the spotlight beaming down on him. "Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, welcome to the Marquez Family Circus! I am the ringmaster, Yolei Marquez, and the circus is about to begin!"

* * *

For the next hour, the circus amazed everyone that was in the tent, whether the act was harmless or dangerous. There were kid-friendly acts, such as the magic tricks and the acrobat acts, and then there were the more dangerous acts, such as the lion-taming act and the fire-juggling act. Each time, everyone in the entire tent could hear Tamaki's screams of fear and delight (I swear he fainted during the fire-juggling act.) The ten-minute break finally comes, and Tamaki's booming voice raves endlessly. You can see the annoyance radiating from the other Hosts, as well as the rest of the audience.

"That was amazing!" Chiyo gushes excitedly.

"Did they do the same things when you were seven, Kosuke?" Misora asks me, bubbling over in excitement and joy.

"Yes," I nod, "I believe this is actually the same circus."

"Whoa," Chiyo exclaims.

"What are the odds?" Misora agrees.

In no time at all, the show is starting back up. Mr. Marquez appears back in the ring, and Tamaki lets out an excited cry as the spotlight hits the ringmaster.

"And now, ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, we come to the final magic act of the night," Mr. Marquez announces. There are disappointed cries from the children (and Tamaki.) "Now, don't fret, this isn't the last act. This is just the last _magic _act. And certainly the best! In this act, my sons and I-" two teenage boys walk out from the curtains, dressed in tailcoats and slacks. They're both carrying a tall purple box large enough for a person to stand in. "-have a special treat for you all! Now. We will need a volunteer."

Immediately, hands shoot up into the air, Tamaki's highest above all. I chuckle a bit, glad that everyone's having a good time.

"How about you, good sir?"

And, to everyone's shock, the light shined down on Haruhi.

Tamaki looks like he had just swallowed a frog.

Haruhi just shrugs as she stands and descends down the metal stairs. By the time she sets foot in the ring, Tamaki is having a full-out panic attack, listing all of the things that could probably go wrong, from Haruhi turning into a skeleton to the box bursting into flames. The entire audience shushes him, and he sits down in his seat, pale and trembling.

"If you would step in here, good sir," Mr. Marquez smiles, gesturing inside the box. Haruhi steps inside, and Mr. Marquez closes the starry door behind her, concealing her from view, and locks it. Tamaki trembles more.

"For this act, the young gentlemen will escape the box just before it bursts into flames."

Tamaki freezes. He was right. The box WAS going to burst into flames.

"To make things more interesting, he only has ten seconds to escape!"

Tamaki goes completely white and frozen. He looks like a statue made out of snow.

"Now, if you will, countdown!"

* * *

**NO ONE'S P.O.V., WITH HARUHI**

"10...9...8..."

Haruhi runs her hands up the wooden sides of the enclosed box blindly, looking with her hands for some crack other than the door's. It's pitch black in the box, and she can't see her hand in front of her face.

"7...6...5..."

She knows the door's locked. But if the only way out is the door, and it's locked...

"4...3...2..."

"How am I supposed to get out of here?" Haruhi wondered aloud, panic crawling up her spine, her heart hammering, her hair sticking up on end.

"1!"

The floor beneath her feet disappears.

* * *

**KOSUKE'S P.O.V.**

The box bursts into flames.

The entire wooden cube goes up into orange light as the wood crackles and sizzles. Flecks of paint fly up into the air, like burning snow. All eyes are on the flaming box (except for Tamaki's, as he had fainted a few seconds ago and was now trying to be recovered by the other Hosts.) There are whoops and cries, and some gasps as the box collapses into a pile of sizzling wood. The entire area is basked in flickering orange-red light.

* * *

**NO ONE'S P.O.V., WITH HARUHI**

Haruhi screams shakily as she slides down the chute in total darkness, save for a few lights that whiz by every fifteen seconds. The slide isn't very steep, but it still sends her plunging further and further into the darkness.

Finally, after what seems like an eternity, Haruhi slides onto a flat, about as big as a bed. Luckily, the surface is smooth, and she doesn't scrape anything. With a groan, she looks up, and she can see a square of the tent's roof, many feet above her head. There's a whirring sound, and her feet tingle, and she realizes that the floor beneath her feet will lift up to the tent's area.

Just as the floor begins to move upwards, a pair of hands clamp down on her shoulders, pulling her into darkness.

* * *

**KOSUKE'S P.O.V.**

"Not only did the young gentlemen escape the box just in time, but he managed to escape completely unharmed!" Mr. Marquez announces with a huge smile. "There he is now!"

All eyes watch as the main spotlight begins to move from the ring, across the floor, and to the east end of the tent.

No one's there.

"I TOLD YOU!" Tamaki screeches right before he faints once more.


	8. The Great Circus Caper Part 2

**KOSUKE'S P.O.V.**

The circus was cancelled early, much to everyone's disappointment. I bid the worried Chiyo and Misora goodbye, explaining that I needed to stay at the circus to help find Haruhi. The entire circus was evacuated, except for the staff and Marquez family members. It looks really different now. It seems larger, and it's much more desolate. Not to mention much quieter...

...I mean, part for Tamaki's enraged screams at Mr. Marquez.

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU DON'T KNOW WHERE SHE IS?!" Tamaki screeches in a banshee-like manner, his face flushed bright red in fury, his hair standing on end. The others are standing a few feet away, safe from any possible harm. "THIS IS _YOUR_ CIRCUS! AREN'T YOU SUPPOSED TO KNOW EVERYTHING?!"

"Tamaki-senpai, I believe we should give Mr. Marquez a chance to explain himself," I say cautiously.

"Yeah, let's let him talk for a minute," Honey agrees, sitting atop of Mori's shoulders, as per usual.

"Oh, uh, t-thank you..." Mr. Marquez stutters nervously, clutching his top hat in his hands. Obviously, Tamaki's scared him out of his wits. "Well, you see, w-when we do the disappearing act, the volunteer goes down a small chute and shows up on the other side of the tent. O-over there." Mr. Marquez points a shaky finger over at the place where Haruhi should have appeared. "I sent K-Kenji-" the oldest Marquez son. "-down there, b-but he didn't find anything."

"THEN WHAT HAPPENED TO HARUHI?" screams Tamaki, spittle forming at the corners of his lips.

* * *

**NO ONE'S P.O.V., WITH HARUHI**

Haruhi doesn't know how long she's in the crate any more than why she's there in the first place. All she knows is that she was grabbed by two pairs of gloved hands and shoved into a wooden box large enough for a lion to fit in. Come to think of it, she thinks this is the kind of box that animals are put into. There's straw scattered around and holes line the top. She tries several times to look out at her surroundings, but it's always too dark.

Finally, the box is dropped violently, and she lands on her side. Opening her big brown eyes, she can see light pouring in through the holes.

"Did you get it?" an unfamiliar voice asks. The voice is slippery and oddly accented, and it sounds like it belongs to a partly aged man.

"Yeah, we got it," another voice answers. This one is younger, and slightly higher than the first.

"The Great Bengal Tiger, Richarma Parnika." A third voice, deep and masculine, guffaws. A big meaty hand slaps down on the top of the box, and Haruhi jumps.

Then she freezes. _Tiger?_

"She sure is a peaceful creatura, isn't she?" The first voice comments, and Haruhi can almost hear the smirk on his face. "Open the box. I wanna see her."

There's an obvious silence of confusion, shock, and hesitation. The voice that was higher than the others speaks, and Haruhi can slightly hear the sound of his gloved hand rubbing the back of his neck. "Uh...I dunno, Boss. Are you sure? This is a Bengal tiger we're talking about here."

The 'Boss' laughs. It's clipped and sour, full of dark humor. "Quim, I've lost my leg to a stupid beast before. I believe I can handle a brainless tigris_._"

"Well...yeah..." the deepest voice murmurs, "But-"

"OPEN THE BOX! _NOW!_"

Haruhi flinches at the booming voice, aggressive and harsh. There are a few shorts beats of hesitant silence, then the front of the box slides upwards. Haruhi barely has time to squint in the light before she's tossed out onto a cold cement floor.

"What in the name of-? WHAT IS THE MEANING OF THIS?"

Haruhi looks up from the floor at the Boss. As she suspected, he's aged, but not as aged as she thought. His hair, slicked back under a peacock-feathered fedora, has gone gray, silver at the top and dark on the sides. He has a black crybaby mustache and a triangle of black hair under his bottom lip. His eyes are metallic seaweed-colored, cold and unforgiving. His skin is pale, very pale, and his fingernails are yellowing. He's wearing a light blue button-up and a gold satin tie under a black pinstripe suit. In one hand, he's holding a mahogany walking stick with a marble handle. His face is contorted in confusion and anger. "DOES THIS LOOK LIKE A TIGRIS TO YOU?"

"N-no sir!" The guy with the highest voice-Quim, Haruhi guessed-insists, shaking his blue-gloved hands back and forth. He's tall and bulky, with deep-tanned skin, bushy round eyebrows over deep brown eyes, and spiky brown hair under a blue cap. He's wearing worn-out overalls over white button-up shirt, as well as large brown boots.

"We couldn't tell!" the last man insists. "It was really dark and we were in a hurry!" This man was bulkier than both the Boss and Quim, with darker skin, almost black eyes, and a large nose. His black hair was greasy and limp, with bushy eyebrows to match. He was wearing a worn, short-sleeved camouflage jacket over a stained white T-shirt, as well as baggy jeans and combat boots.

"Uh...can I ask why I'm here?" Haruhi asks slowly, a small bead of sweat rolling down her temple.

"You shut your mouth, hœdum_!_" the Boss snaps at her in a hiss. "Quim! Celso! Who is this?"

"W-we really don't know, Boss!" Quim insists sheepishly.

The Boss glares at them a bit more before sending his furious gaze down on Haruhi. "Who are you?"

"Um...I'm Haru-"

"Forget it. Does anyone know you're here?"

"Well...the whole circus saw me disappear...but I don't think they know I'm here...?"

The Boss curses under his breath. Then, glowering at his henchmen, he orders, "Tie him up and lock him in the cage." As the Boss turns on his heel, Haruhi realizes that his right leg is a smooth grey peg, making his walking slow and limped.

Celso nods and moves forward, but Quim hesitates. "B-but Boss, this is just a kid we're talkin' about-"

"DON'T YOU DARE QUESTION ME!" the Boss snarls, his lips pulling back to show slightly sharpened teeth. "NOW TIE THE KID UP!"

As the two men begin to bind her body in the itchy, thick nylon around her torso, Haruhi hears Quim murmur an apology.

* * *

**KOSUKE'S P.O.V.**

"Are there any underground tunnel systems below the circus grounds?" Kyoya asks Mr. Marquez suggestively. Tamaki is sulking angrily in the bottom of the bleachers, grumbling and cursing under his breath. "Anywhere that Haruhi could have gone?"

"Well, I haven't found a such a thing in all my years at any of my circus locations," Mr. Marquez replies, thinking deeply as he twiddles his fingers.

"And just how many years have you been in the circus business?" Kyoya asks seriously, glasses glinting in the dull circus tent light.

"Next month, it'll be twenty-five years, meaning we've been coming to this location twenty-five times..."

As I watch, a loud crunching sound makes me flinch. Turning around, I see Kaoru and Hikaru, each with a small red bag, stuffing popcorn into their mouths. "Excuse me, but how many bags of popcorn have you guys eaten?"

"We lost count after..." They both pause, considering, then they finish, "...we just lost count." Before eating more of the popped kernals.

I sweat a bit. "You both are aware that too much popcorn can make you ill, yes?"

"How can something delicious make you sick?" They reply, and I sigh.

"Mr. Maruqez, do you have any enemies?" Kyoya asks behind me. "Anyone who would want to put you out of business?"

"No, no, not at all!" Mr. Marquez replies quickly, shaking his head frantically. "I've never had a single enemy in all my life!"

"So where did Haruhi go?" Kaoru and Hikaru ask, cocking their heads a bit to the side as they munched on more popcorn.

I think hard for a moment, holding my chin in my hand, then I take a step forward. "Excuse me, I don't wish to interrupt, but why not I go down the chute to find Haruhi?"

The Hosts all stare at me for a moment, in a way I cannot name, before Kyoya slowly replies, "That wouldn't be a bad idea. Kosuke _is_ the smallest person we can send down at the moment."

Tamaki, who had stepped over a few moments before, asks, "But what about Honey..." When he sees that Honey is currently asleep atop Mori's shoulders for an afternoon nap, Tamaki cuts off. I had learned a few days ago that Honey tends to get aggressively cranky when he awakes, so awaking him from his nap may lead to severe consequences.

"Like I said, 'Kosuke is the smallest person we can send down _at the moment.'_" Kyoya replies with a small sigh. Pushing his glasses up his nose a bit, he asks, "Kosuke, are you sure about this? You don't know what's down there."

"But Haruhi is down there, for all that we're aware of," I reply, trying my best to make a good point, "He likely hurt himself, or he possibly didn't step on the platform in time, likely an explanation such as that. I believe it's nothing of great worry."

"Well, if you're gonna go down there, you should take something with you, in case something bad happens," Kyoya says, reaching into his pocket and taking out a small white square on a string. "Here, take this." He tosses the object to me, and I catch it with my right hand. "If anything happens, press the button and my phone'll get a message."

"Yes, Kyoya," I reply as I put the string around my neck before stepping over to the pile of charred wood that used to be the box that held Haruhi. Picking up and kicking away the burnt sheets, leaving the bottom of my sneakers and my palms dusted black. Running my fingers over the blackened ground, I find the square of the chute and stand up, kicking it with my heel. The square bursts open in a puff of grey. As I kneel down next to it, staining my jeans, I hear two unison voices telling me, "Be careful."

I look up at Kaoru and Hikaru, who, though they have straight faces, have genuine concern in their eyes. I smile up at them reassuringly before telling them, "I will be. You have my word."

And with that, I jump down the chute, letting the darkness engulf me.

**I apologize for the short chapter. But I believe this is a good place to stop. You have my word, the next chapter will be much longer.**

**~Moonstar**


	9. The Great Circus Caper Part 3

**KOSUKE'S P.O.V.**

I fall down the chute for about thirty seconds.

It's totally dark, safe for a few lights every now and then. The metal is cold against my back, and the size of the chute doesn't help my claustrophobia. Finally, I slide to the flat platform. Unfortunately, at the place where the chute and the platform meet, there's a line of metal. A small section of it is raised, and it ends up cutting my thigh through my jeans' material. Luckily, it's only a 1/4 of a centimeter deep all, but it's stinging, and there's already blood surfacing. I stand up, and a drop of blood trickles into the denim of my jeans.

"Kosuke!"

I look up, and I can just barely make out Tamaki's face through the square opening. I think the other Hosts are around him, but it's so dark and I almost can't see him.

"Kosuke, is everything OK?" Tamaki asks in a rush.

"Yes, but it's rather dark down here."

"Do you see Haruhi?"

"...No..._it's rather dark down here_..."

"Oh...right...Are you hurt?"

"I cut my leg coming down here, but I believe I'm fine."

"Here," Mr. Marquez's voice echoes down to me, "Use this!"

About ten seconds later, something light and square falls on my shoulder. Pulling it off, I realize through touch that it's a handkerchief. "I appreciate it. I believe all I need now is some light."

"Just a second..." I can hear a pair of feet shuffling away for a moment before returning. "Here ya go!"

I don't know what to expect, but soon, a flashlight falls right in the middle of scalp. "Ouch!"

"Sorry!" Tamaki calls down. He then exclaims in pain as the twins slap him upside his head with their hands. Or, at least, I'm pretty sure it's the twins.

Flicking on the flashlight, I sit down, using the handkerchief to cover up the cut on my thigh. I then use the flashlight to look around. But I can't see anything other than dull grey walls made of cement. "Haruhi isn't down here."

Tamaki whimpers like an injured puppy and the other Hosts sigh and groan. Kyoya then asks, "Do you see any doors? Or maybe another chute?"

"I don't believe I see any doors," I say, running my hand along the wall to my left.

To my absolute surprise, the wall swings open. "...There's a door."

Tamaki cheers loudly whilst the others sigh in relief. I raise my flashlight up to them to get their attention. "Do you wish for me to wait, or for me to go ahead?"

"Go ahead," Kyoya instructs, the glow of the flashlight turning his glasses yellow. "I don't think there's anything to wait for."

"Yes, s..._Kyoya,_" I reply. I really have to work on not calling the other Hosts 'sir.' It's not something I'm used to.

I push the door further open, waving my flashlight inside. The door opens up to a wide hallway (well, not exactly wide, but it is compared to the platform) with cement walls and floors. The ceiling is covered in lensed fluorescent troffers.

"Be careful!" Tamaki calls down quickly.

"Don't die!" the twins instruct me.

"I...appreciate the advice...?" I reply slowly before stepping into the hall.

* * *

I turn off my flashlight as I enter the hall, seeing no use for it. The hall turned a corner before splitting into two more halls. I sweat a bit in realization that there will be many more halls after this.

"_Merda_...This place is a labyrinth..."

I gasp and press my beck to the wall nearest to me as someone approaches just around the corner. With their footsteps, I can hear wheels turning softly. Very carefully, I look around the corner to see a burly, with dark skin and a large nose. His black eyes match his spiky black hair. I have a feeling that he worked in the army for some time, judging by his combat boots and camouflage jacket. He looks less that happy to be doing what he is. He's pushing a large crate, and I can hear items clinking and moving inside.

He moves closer and closer to me, any my heartbeat grows louder and louder as the crate comes around the corner...

"Might as well hit the _toilette_. Who knows when the Boss will let me take another break."

And the crate stops moving. I sigh in relief.

I hear a door creak as it opens and closes. The man has gone inside.

Thinking quickly, I rush over to the crate and, luckily, the top opens easily. The crate is filled with equipment and weapons of all sorts. Ropes, grappling hooks, chains, locks, sacks of food(?), bullets, gunpowder, and some sniper rifles, even. Fortunately, there's just enough room for a girl-pretending-to-be-a-boy to squeeze into.

When I finally manage to get myself in the box, a grappling hook had poked a hole through my hoodie and a sack of gunpowder is putting my foot to sleep. It's also very dark, and it smells like a mixture of animal food and lead. Not two seconds after I carefully shut the top of the crate close, the door opens.

I hear footsteps as the man approaches the crate, and now I feel the crate beginning to move smoothly, but noisily. The man curses to himself. "How much does this thing _weigh?_"

* * *

I can't recall how many turns we took or how many hallways we went through, but soon, the man opens a door and we roll inside.

"Celso, there you are," a slick, thin voice says, and become even more confused. "What took you so long?"

"_Scusa_, Boss, got lost," 'Celso' replies apologetically, stopping the crate. "Forgot about my map."

"Of course you did, you worthless _morionem,_" the 'Boss' scoffs coldly, "Put the crate over in the corner."

The crate moves again, and it is push into the wall hard enough that the grappling hook pokes through my button-up shirt, almost breaking my skin.

"I can't believe this," the Boss hœdumgroans acidly, "How do you _idiotae _get a _tigris_ confused with a _hœdum_?"

Hœdum? Haruhi!

"Don't even answer." The Boss's calm (but annoyed) voice suddenly goes angry. "QUIM! STOP BEING A MOLLIS AND TIE HIM UP!"

"S-sorry, Boss," a shaky voice replies. Unlike the others', this voice is quiet and somewhat gives the person a kind appeal.

"_Idiotae_," the Boss mumbles, "Celso, Quim, come with me, and tie the kid up good. We need to get the helicopter ready."

Three pairs of footsteps move, and after a loud creak of what I suppose is a metal door, they disappear.

I slowly open the top of the box, looking around for anyone else. But the room is empty, save for a couple of metal chairs, a wood-and-metal cabinet, a cooler, and the crates.

And the giant cage that holds Haruhi.

"Haruhi?"

Haruhi looks up, the entire mouth covered in a red bandana and her hands tied behind her onto the metal bars of the cage. When she sees me, her eyes widen in surprise. "Kmooke?"

I raise myself out of the crate, and I don't remember the grappling hook until it tears all the way down my hoodie and button-up shirt. Ignoring it, I dash over to Haruhi and remove the bandana around her mouth. "Are you hurt?"

"No, I'm good," Haruhi sighs, taking a deep breath of fresh air.

"Who are those men?"

"I have no idea, but I know they're not good news." Haruhi replies. "Kosuke, you need to get out of here. These guys are dangerous, I can tell."

"I came down here for you. I'll-"

The door opens, and I gasp.

There's another man in front of us. He's lighter-set than the others, with tan skin and bushy eyebrows that match his brown hair. He too, is wearing worn-out clothes, as well as large brown boots. He doesn't look angry to see me, rather, he just looks surprised.

I don't know what to do. I don't have a weapon, this guy looks even stronger than Osamu, and he may call the others in here, hurting not only me but Haruhi.

But just as I move, the man holds out his gloved hands. "No. It's okay. I'm not gonna hurt you."

When I don't reply, he says, "I'm Quim."

"I'm...Kosuke," I respond slowly, unsure of whether he's trustworthy or not.

"Listen, Kosuke. I wanna help you guys get out of here," Quim explains. "But the only way out of here is through there-" he gestures to the large metal door behind him, "-and Celso and the Boss are right outside."

"Isn't there anyway to just distract them?" Haruhi asks.

"Or maybe we could just discuss this like civil men?" I offer.

"The whole discussion thing is already ruled out. The Boss and Celso won't listen to a word I say. If I try to distract them...well, best case scenario, it works. Worst case scenerio, they kill me."

"Kosuke, did you bring your phone?" Haruhi asks me.

Before I can answer, Quim interrupts, "Cellphone reception doesn't work down here."

I gasp as I take off the string around my neck. "But Kyoya gave me this in case something went wrong. It's supposed to send an alarm to his phone."

"...Why didn't you just press it sooner?" inquires Haruhi as she and Quim sweat a bit.

"...I forgot..." I sweat a bit as well.

I then press the small button on the necklace.

* * *

**NO ONE'S P.O.V., WITH THE OTHERS**

"What's taking them so long?!" Tamaki cries as he continues to stare down the dark chute, looking on the verge of tears.

"Maybe they died," Kaoru and Hikaru offer, causing Tamaki to pale.

"Tamaki, one of them is probably just injured and it's taking them a minute to get back."

"How are we going to get Haru-chan and Kosu-chan out once they come back?" Honey, who just awoke from his nap, asks as he rubs the sleep from his eyes.

"We'll pull them up with something," Mori answers simply.

_Beep. Beep. Beep._

"What's that?!" Tamaki screams.

"My phone," Kyoya replies, slightly surprised as he took out his black phone and flipped it open, holding it up to his ear. "Kosuke?"

* * *

_"Kosuke?"_

I jump slightly as Kyoya's voice buzzes from the device. "K-Kyoya, how are you speaking to me?" I turn the device over and over, trying to find some speaker.

* * *

"Nevermind that," Kyoya tells Kosuke as the other Hosts gather around. "What's wrong?"

"IS HARUHI ALRIGHT?" Tamaki screeches, causing Kyoya to push him back from the phone.

_"...How should I put it...There are some men down here that have locked Haruhi in a cage, but one of them is fine, and I'm not entirely certain what they want, but I believe they may be poachers and they're hiding under the circus grounds in underground tunnels."_

* * *

All I hear on the other end is confused silence a few moments.

_"...Keeping that in mind..." _Kyoya begins, _"Is there any way you can get out?"_

"No, the men are outside."

_"Then can we come down the chute?"_

"Yes...But I don't believe I can give you directions here..."

"Wait," Quim reaches into one of his large overall pockets and pulls out a piece of paper covered in sloppy arrows. "I got a map here. You can use it."

"I appreciate it," I tell him, taking the paper and spreading it out on the floor. "Kyoya, I have a map now. If you come down the chute, I'll give you directions."

* * *

"Alright, we're on our way," Kyoya replies.

_"Kyoya, shouldn't you call the police before you come down here? I know I said I'd give you directions, however..."_

"He has a point," Kaoru and Hikaru told the other Hosts, raising their index fingers, "What if those guys have guns or something?"

"I'll call them," Kyoya replies, already typing _1-1-0 _into his phone's keys. Then, holding the phone to his ear once more, he asks, "...Where's Tamaki?"

All eyes fell on the chute, which continued to echo Tamaki's cry of "I'M COMING HARUHIIIIIIII!"

* * *

"Kyoya?" I say into the device. I repeat myself when no one answers, but I'm greeted with silence once more.

"What's wrong?"

"I'm not sure. He won't answer me," I reply, letting go of my necklace.

_"Go inside and check on Quim. The morionem's probably crying in the corner."_

_"Yes, sir, Mr. Boss, sir."_

"Quick! Quick! Hide!" Quim whispers at me in a panicked voice.

I run back to the crate as Quim hurries to put the bandana around Haruhi's mouth. I close the crate, scratching my hand on some wool rope, and look through the holes lining the top. Just as Quim finishes tying the ropes around Haruhi's wrists, the door opens with a loud creak.

"So what all have you screwed up so far?" Celso asks coldly, a smug smirk appearing on his lips. I notice a small scar on the top of his upper lip.

Quim slightly narrows his eyes in a hint of a glare. "Nothing. What's wrong?"

"Nothing, except for you," he leans against the metal door, and I immediately find a disliking for him. "I'm surprised you're still here. Thought you'd run out crying like a little _ragazza _long before I came here."

"Bet you would have loved that, wouldn't you?" Quim murmurs, refusing to meet Celso's eyes.

"Me and the Boss both. You know, when we get that tiger, the Boss is cutting you loose. Told me himself. 'The _ingannare's _too much of a burden. The moment Richarma Parnika is in my grasp, he's gonna be _emorragia_ on the street.'"

Quim says nothing.

"Celso, come," the Boss's muffled voice demands from the outside. I dislike him more than Celso. "I need your help."

"It's been nice working with you, Quim," Celso nods to Quim as he opens the metal door once more. "As Shakespeare said, _Parting is such sweet sorrow._"

And with that, Celso shuts the door behind him.

I sit in the crate for a long moment, contemplating the scene that had just occurred before me. I open the top of the crate, stepping out onto the hard concrete floor. Haruhi is looking at Quim with a compassionate expression in her eyes. Stepping over to him, I set a hand on Quim's shoulder. "Is everything fine?"

"...Yeah," he replies after a long pause. "I'm fine. Don't worry."

"Mr. Quim...what Mr. Celso said just now...about you trying to capture a tiger...could you explain that?"

Quim pauses once more. "We've been doing it for years. Tracking down circuses and kidnapping their most prized possessions, selling them to whoever would pay. _The Circus Bandits, _police called us. We never got caught. The Boss heard about this place's Bengal Tiger, so we tried to kidnap it...as you can see, things didn't go according to plan..."

I nod in understanding, feeling genuine worry for this man. Then, my eyebrows crease in confusion. "Bengal Tiger?"

"Yeah. Richarma Parnika. Really famous."

_And now, ladies and gentlemen, I give you our very own star! Originating from India, this housecat will surely make your amazement soar. And now, without further ado, I give you...Richarma Parnika!_

The ringmaster's voice rings in my ears as if he were actually here. It all makes sense now. The tiger, Richarma Parnika, the circus..."Quim?"

"Yeah?"

"I think you guys got the wrong circus. This is the _Marquez _family circus. Richarma Parnika's part of the _Martinez _family circus."

As Quim unties the bandana muffling her mouth, Haruhi asks, "How did you know that?" with wide, surprised eyes.

"I went to their circus, when I was a child."

"The Boss isn't going to like that..." Quim sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. "When he finds out we messed up the family names, he's gonna have our heads on a platter."

"Why do you work with him, anyway?" asks Haruhi, turning around in the cage. "You obviously don't like working here, so why don't you just leave?"

"My family's been poor ever since I was a kid. I was promised a lot of cash in a worked with the Boss, and well...I accepted the offer. I didn't realize what we were doing until it was too late."

"We understand," I tell him with a kind smile, "When the police arrive, I believe they'll charge you for helping the Boss with his wrongdoing, but I'll tell them you helped us as well. I believe they'll lighten the charge on you for that."

Quim smiles. A big, genuine smile that takes up his whole face.

"Quim, we need the..._COSA DIAVOLO?!"_

Haruhi and I gasp as we turn to the doorway. Celso stands there, his face clouded in an expression of confusion, anger, and immense fury. His eyes flicker to Quim, Haruhi, me, and back again. As he yells at Quim, spittle flies from his mouth. _**"WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!"**_

"Celso, listen to me-"

_**"TRADITORE! I KNEW IT! I KNEW YOU'RE SCREW UP EVERYTHING! WE WERE GONNA GET A **__**FORTUNE**__** FROM THIS! I WAS GONNA BE **__**RICH**__**! I'M GONNA **__**KILL YOU**__**!"**_

Celso runs at us like a charging bull, looking absolutely murderous. Before I can move, or breath, or even blink, Quim grabs me by the shoulder and pushes me back. "GO! NOW!"

And he surprised me by running over to Celso and uppercutting him. Wasting no time, I run over to the other side of the metal cage and rip off Haruhi's bindings. She yanks off the bandana as I turn to the lock bolting the cage shut. Instead of chains, there's a solid metal ring circling from the lock, around the bar, and back to the lock.

I...can't...

"Haruhi, I-I don't believe I can get this off," I say barely above a whisper, fear overcoming my entire body, filling my brian, my lungs, and my heart. My eyes flicker over to a tall cabinet in the corner of the room, next to the door leading outside. "Stay here, I'll see if I can't get something."

I rush over to the cabinet, doing my best to avoid the kicks and punches coming from Quim and Celso's scuffle. I open the cabinet with a loud creak. Inside, there's a large hammer leaning against a box of tools on the top shelf. There's nothing in the large space below it.

Just as I reach for the tool box, a voice explodes in the room.

_**"HARUHIIIII!"**_

I gasp as I turn around just in time to see Tamaki exploding through the door. I've never seen him so angry. His violet eyes are lit with furious flames, standing out against his flushed skin. Without even hesitating, he dashes straight over to the cage, _rips the bars apart, _and pulls Haruhi out.

"AREYOUOK? WHATDIDTHEYDOTOYOU? AREYOUHURT? WHEREAREYOUHURT? TELLME**TELLME**_**TELLME!" **_With each question, Tamaki hugs Haruhi tighter and tighter, as if his life depends on it. I swear he's trembling, and I can see hot, angry tears in his eyes. The sight both warms and breaks my heart.

"Senpai, the only one hurting me is you!" Haruhi exclaims, trying to push away.

"I'm just happy you're okay..." Tamaki sighs, smiling softly. Haruhi smiles too, sweating a bit.

A loud thump catches our attention. Turning around, we see Quim standing over an unconscious Celso. He's panting, and I can see a bruise forming on the right side of his face. He turns to us, and nods to Tamaki.

Tamaki is too pale and frozen to nod back, or even speak.

"Are you hurt?" I ask Quim, helping Haruhi to her feet.

"Nah, I'm fine. We've gotta-"

"Tamaki!"

We all turn to the door, where Kyoya appears, panting ever-so-slightly. Hikaru and Kaoru appear next, then Mori and Honey. "What were you-"

Kyoya stops as he takes in the unconscious Celso, Quim, the cage, and basically everything in the room. There's a long moment of silence, the only sound being the door shutting close behind the Hosts.

"...What?" Kaoru and Hikaru ask, eyebrows furrowed.

"No time to explain," Quim says, taking a step forward. "You guys need to get out of here. The Boss will be here any second!"

_Creeeeeeak_

"He's already here."

As the door opens, I move instinctively. I don't even think before I crouch inside the cabinet, closing the door behind me without a single sound.

No one makes a single move as the Boss raises his mahogany cane, using his thumb to flick a small switch. Immediately, the golden tip of the cane pops open, and I see the small button on the end of the handle.

The cane's a gun.

The Boss's face is sure to give me nightmares for months. He's smirking smugly, like a spider coming home to see a fat fly in its web. But his eyes are murderous and furious, full of blood-thirst. He steps over Celso's body as if it were a log in the middle of a path. "Step away from the door."

The Hosts take a few steps forward, not making a single sound. The Boss doesn't move from his threatening position, but his eyes shift to Tamaki and Haruhi. "Get up."

Tamaki picks Haruhi up bridal-style and stands with perfect balance, stepping back into the group of Hosts.

"I so do wish we could have met in a nicer fashion," the Boss sighs in mock sadness. "But that doesn't me we shouldn't introduce ourselves. I am the Boss-"

"You're Scelus Leziniaco."

The Boss frowns as Kyoya speaks up. Kyoya looks absolutely fearless, surprising me completely. The Boss-or Scelus, I suppose-smirks wider, "And just how would you know that, _puer_?"

"You're a criminal. _The Circus Stealer. _One of the most wanted in the world. You're a thief and a poacher. You steal and hunt animals and sell them illegally." Kyoya's sentences are clipped, his tone bing matter-of-fact.

Scelus looks pleased. "Do you know why?"

"I don't know why you do this. But I think it has to do with your accident."

Scelus frowns acidly, and his gaze turns into a furious glare. "The sign said _NO SMOKING. _And someone still brought a cigarette inside. And the _morionem_ dropped it. Those stupid animals went crazy, they ran from the tent like the beast they were. That _elephantus_ crushed my leg. That _leo _killed my brother."

"And now you're going to destory every circus you can get your hands on, right?" Kyoya's gray eyes go icy.

"Of course. After what they'd done, they deserve it. I promised Florens I would avenge him."

"It was an accident-"

"AN ACCIDENT THAT HAS TO BE REPAID!" Scelus shouts so loudly, so angrily that I flinch. "AND IT WILL BE!"

For a few moments, the only sound in the room is Scelus' heavy breathing. Then, he begins to laugh. A dry, humorless laugh. "It's too bad. I would have hired you instead of Quim, _puer. _Lot more brain than brawn." He flips turns the handle of his gun/cane once again, and I hear a click, loading it. "Too bad they're going to be splattered on the floor once I'm done with all of y-"

_**WHAP!**_

Scelus's eyes widen in the few seconds before he collapses to the floor, his cane-gun rattling against the cement.

I breath heavily, the hammer in my hand slipping from my sweaty grasp to the floor, my heartbeat going mad.

I look up at the Hosts, who are all staring at me in pure shock.

"...When are the officials coming, again?"

* * *

For the second time since my becoming a Host, the police arrived. Apparently, a large traffic jam had delayed them from arriving. There were five police cars, two ambulances, and a firetruck (why do they always call in firetrucks when we don't need them?) _Once again, _we were all questioned and inspected, and I was able to get my cut properly bandages, along with my hand, which was coated in a cream that would heal the scratches. Tamaki forced a doctor to inspect Haruhi, despite her protests.

Celso and Scelus were both sent to prison for fifty years, for countless crimes. Quim was given ten years of community service, which he didn't mind whatsoever. Mr. Marquez nearly cried in relief when the villains were loaded into the police cars.

"I can't thank you all enough for your help," Mr. Marquez says once more, tears spilling down his face, "I-I just wish there was something else I could do."

"Don't worry about it," Haruhui smiles at him, waving a dismissing hand. "We were happy to help."

"Can we just point out that Kosuke was the only one who actually helped?" Kaoru and Hikaru ask, sitting on the dge of an ambulance. As I had warned them, they had horrible stomachaches from all the popcorn, and they were now clutching their stomachs after they took some pills.

"Well, yeah..." Haruhi sighed as Tamaki rounded on the twins, looking like he's about to rip out their throats.

"At least let me give you some more clothes," Mr. Marquez insists pleadingly, "It's the least I can do."

I'm confused at what he says-why would he offer us clothes?-when I realize he's talking about me. I look down at myself, and I see what I look like. My pants leg is cut open, showing the bandages underneath. My hoodie and my button-up, from my kidney to the ends of the fabrics, is ripped open. With all of that, my clothes are covered in dirt and dust, and even a bit of gunpowder. I sweat a bit. "I...suppose I could use new clothes..."

Mr. Marquez sighs, as if in relief. "You can take some of Sakus's clothes. THey should fit you just fine."

* * *

Sakus, as it turned out, was the youngest Marquez son, and about nineteen years old. But he was rather small for his age, and was almost exactly my size.

He leads me to his closet, where he leaves me to pick whatever clothes I want.

I don't know what I expected-clown suits or tuxedos or polo shirts-but I find clothes rather similar to mine.

In the top rack, I discover a red hoodie that was just like my old one, maybe a bit darker, as well as a white button-up shirt like the one I wore before. On the lower rack, I pick out a pair of black, slack-like jeans and a belt, as the jeans are a bit loose. From one of the shelves, I find a simple black tie. It's inexpensive, and there's another just like it, so I decide to wear it as well. For no real reason, just that I...well, you know...like it.

I pull off my torn hoodie, and then my white button-up, setting them to the side as-

"Hey, Kosuke, you left your-"

I gasp as the door to the closet pushes open.

Kaoru just stares at me a moment, eyes wide and lips frozen in a shocked line. In his hand, he's holding my HRD, which I had to take off due to my hand-inspection. He's staring at the bandages bound around my torso, and though he never moves, his eyes flicker with emotions such as realization, shock, and maybe a bit of..._irony_? I'm not sure.

After a long moment, he shuts the door, leaving us both in shocked silence.

"...So...just so I'm clear...you're a girl, right?"

"...Yes."

"And you're pretending to be a boy?"

"Yes, just as Haruhi is."

"...O...K..."

"...Did I...offend you somehow?"

"No, no. Just...shocked, I guess."

"I apologize."

"Yeah..."

Pulling on the new button-up, I ask, "You won't tell the others, will you?"

"No, of course not."

"I appreciate it," I tell him as I start putting on the new pair of jeans. I pause, then I add, "You...won't tell Hikaru either, will you?"

He pauses as well. "...No."

I don't reply.

The rest of the time I finish dressing, we don't say a word. I suppose Kaoru had left. I have this weird feeling in my chest, and not a pleasant one.

When I finish dressing, the clothes fit almost perfectly, not showing anything that needs to be hidden. I adjust my wig and pull on my sneakers before opening the door.

To my slight surprise, Kaoru is still standing outside. He gives me a sort of odd look that I can't name. I awkwardly shut the door, and when I turn to him, he's holding out the HRD. I take it with a nod, putting it back onto my wrist and pressing the power button.

"Are you OK?"

I look up at him, confused. "I'm fine. Why do you ask?"

He gives me a look that says _Are-you-kidding-me. _"You've been pulped by a gigantic idiot, you've had a heart attack, and you were basically kidnapped by a criminal."

"Oh..." I awkwardly sweat a bit. "Yes, I'm fine. All things considered."

He stays silent a moment, then he smiles a bit and teases, "Big shocker you actually knocked that guy out with a hammer. First impolite thing you've ever done."

Almost immediately, I bow down so fast that my blood rushes in my head. "I apologize! I apologize!"

"It's alright!" Kaoru replies hastily. "I was just saying it was a surprise, ya know?"

I stand up once more, rubbing the back of my head nervously. "Yes..."

Once more, there's a very awkward silence. Then, Kaoru clears his throat and gestures past me. "We should get going."

"Yes, we should," I reply, walking towards the exit, with Kaoru walking beside me.

"Hey, is it hard? Pretending to be a boy?" Kaoru asks, curiosity etched in his face.

I smile a bit. "As you said, I have been beaten by a exorbitant boy, I've had a heart attack, and I was kidnapped by a dangerous criminal. So, yes, I suppose pretending to be a male is a struggle, but it's also...amusing, somehow."

"Guess you and Haruhi are gonna be great friends, huh?"

I chuckle. "Yes, I suppose."

**Aaaaaand there's episode 3. I apologize for the late update. I got stuck on a few parts. **

**I'm not sure when the next episode will be, as I accept episode suggestions from my readers. In other words, SUGGEST EPISODES.**

**I'm also officially making Kosuke's main theme "Everything's Alright" from **_**To the Moon.**_

**Until next time (suggest episodes!)**

**~LunarisAmor**


	10. Predicament at Sea Part 1

The days following the Circus Caper were fairly normal. We agreed to not talk about it around school, to avoid any bad vibes of the Host Club (Kyoya's words, not mine.) I only told Misora and Chiyo that there was 'a small problem and Haruhi was perfectly fine.' Which wasn't the whole truth, but not necessarily a lie.

True to his word, Kaoru hadn't told Hikaru about my being a girl. Nor did he tell anyone else, for that matter, which I was extremely thankful for. He talks to me more casually now, but not enough so that anyone will notice a significant change in our relationship.

Honami and Rituko became concerned with the Host Club, or, namely, me being in it. I couldn't blame them. We'd already been concerned with the police twice, not to mention my heart attack. I told them everything would be fine, but I still think they're concerned about me, very much so. Unsurprisingly, Mother was not concerned. She told my siblings that if the Host Club turned into too much off a hassle, I would quit by myself. That's the kind of person Mother is: she doesn't concern for anyone if they can take matters into their own hands. That's why I love her.

Minami has gained many friends ever since her arrival at Ouran. The night of the Circus event, she was having a sleepover with some girls from her class. She also joined the elementary dance club, and as expected, her first few days left her so tired she went to be earlier than usual. Eventually, though, she got used to it and as of tonight, she would return to her normal schedule.

To my surprise, we would be going to the beach today. The beach is one of my favorite places in the world, and I haven't gone since the summer. I was disappointed, however, that I wouldn't be able to go swimming. I'd probably only be able to go into the water a few feet, up to my calves. I considered wearing a full-body swimming suit, but executed that idea, knowing the swimming suit would be too tight and would show off what little curves I had.

I found out that I didn't actually need to be disappointed. We wouldn't be going into the water, after all. We were actually going on a yacht owned by the Ootoris, and we would be returning at around eight o'clock. So, after physical education, I decided to wear a sky blue jacket made out of polyester pique, as well as a pair of leather sandals and plaid shorts colored white, beige, deep grey, and lion. I bought all of these clothes on a before-school shopping spree with my mother. I preferred to sew my own clothes, but at the time I found out I would be dressing as a boy, I didn't have the time to sew a whole wardrobe.

Before I can push open the door to Music Room #4, two sets of arms take mine and pull me down the hall.

"We're taking our limousine to the beach," the twins tell me as they turn a corner, dragging me between them. They're both wearing black-and-red shorts and white polo shirts.

I attempt to stand, but only end up stumbling. I sigh, "May I walk on my own?"

"Nah, this is too fun," They respond with their signature Cheshire-cat smiles.

They drag me all the way down the stairs, through the halls, and finally outside to their limousine. They threw me inside like a rag doll, causing me to land on the rubber floor. Climbing inside, they pull me up into the leather seat between them like a child.

"So is this your first time on a yacht?" They ask me as the limousine moves forward smoothly.

"Yes," I answer, buckling my seat-belt.

"Doesn't your family own one?"

"No. We've never needed one."

They gawk. "Never ne-?!" They cut off in groans, holding their foreheads in their palms. "You're a lot like Haruhi, sometimes, you know?"

"I don't see any false logic in that," I tell them, "Why should you buy something expensive if you're never going to need it?"

"Because you _can,_" they answer, as if it's completely obvious why.

"I apologize if I'm being rude, but there is absolutely no logic in that answer."

"In the words of our grandfather, 'There's no need for logic if you have money to make up for it.'"

"I take it your grandfather was very wealthy?"

"So wealthy he had a different house for every day of the week." They smirk at me, winking.

I sigh at that. Very much expected.

* * *

It's a beautiful day to spend at the beach, or on a yacht, for that matter. The sand's so white it's almost like snow. The aquamarine sky above is clear, part for a few fluffy small clouds that speckle it. The sun's high above, making the robin egg blue water glimmer. The air smells of salt and barbecuing food. People are splashed across the sand, either tanning, swimming, building sandcastles, collecting shells, or playing volleyball. A wooden dock stretches out into the water, leading to a large white yacht at the end. The Ootoris' yacht is so large it looks like it could actually be a cruise. _大鳥 _is written in gold at the bow.

"See?" The twins tease as we head for the harbor, our feet kicking up small bits of sand as we walk down the wooden boardwalk. "You can do things with money."

"But is this a necessity?" I inquire, pulling down my jacket sleeve to cover my HRD from the salty mist.

"Absolutely."

I shouldn't have asked.

As we reach the end of the harbor, I can make out the other Hosts waiting for us. Honey is raving about how much he loved boat rides, Mori's completely silent, Kyoya (as usual) is writing in his black notebook, and Tamaki's lecturing Haruhi on what to do in case the yacht sinks.

"And remember to put on the life jacket _correctly. _If you don't you'll either drown or you'll choke t-" Tamaki stops short as he sees us approaching. He bursts into a huge grin. "There you three are! We've been waiting!" He's dressed in a short-sleeved white shirt patterned in leaves and flowers, with khaki shorts and sandals.

"We had to pick up Kosuke before we got here," the twins reply. "Can you believe that he only thinks you should buy stuff if you need it?"

"There is perfect logic in that," Haruhi says, raising an eyebrow at them. She's wearing a simple yellow hoodie with green plaid shorts.

"I appreciate it," I tell her, and she smiles.

"Is that everyone?" Tamaki asks Kyoya, still beaming.

Kyoya looks inside his black notebook and answers, "Yes. Everyone who signed up is here and accounted for." Kyoya is clad in khaki shorts and a polo shirt striped navy blue and white.

So is that something he writes in his notebook?

"Alright men, everyone on board!" Tamaki walks up the wooden stepping ladder that leads up to the yacht like an army soldier.

"Let's go, Takashi!" Honey grabs Mori's hand and pulls him up the ladder. As always, Honey looks adorable, dressed in a orange polo shirt, jean shorts, and an olive beach hat. Mori is dressed older, in a teal button-up and knee-long khakis.

"Is this your first time on a boat?" Haruhi asks me as we walk in step up the ladder, the salty breeze making our hair waver madly.

"I went fishing in a small one when I was younger. But I've never been in a large one before."

"Me neither," Haruhi tells me as we step onto the yacht's wooden flooring. "I'm hoping it's going to be fun." Then, with a small drop of sweat rolling down her temple, she adds, "But knowing our luck with the Host Club, we'll probably end up like the Titanic."

I smile a bit. "I'm sure it'll be fun up until that point."

"Like the Titanic," Haruhi nods, and we chuckle.

* * *

The next two hours were very fun, as a matter of fact.

The customers spent their time tanning, shuffle boarding, sitting in the small movie theater, dining in the catered seafood hall, swimming in the on-deck pool, or the spa. The Hosts were stationed in different areas and activities: Haruhi in tanning (though she did none), Hikaru and Kaoru in the movie theater, Honey and Mori in the dining hall (so Honey could eat as many cakes as possible), Tamaki in the spa, Kyoya in the pool, and myself in shuffle-boarding. Customers changed Hosts periodically so they could experience every activity as well as every Host.

I take my tang and push it against the blue weight in front of me. It slides across the polished wooden deck, stopping in the 3 area.

"Nice one, Kosuke!" Misora cheers from behind me. Today, for the special occasion, she's dressed in an apple green bikini with a maize cover-up designed in deep pink lilies. Her long, light auburn hair falls in silky waves down her waist. She and I are on the same team, and so far, we're in the lead.

"I appreciate it," I give her a small smile, brushing my wind-blown, platinum blond bangs out of my eyes.

"I thought you said you've never played before," Chiyo gives me a playful glare. Chiyo is dressed in a one-piece, blue-gray swimsuit with cerulean straps. Like Misora, she has a cover-up on, but hers is red-violet and decorated in gold boho designs. She's on the opposite team, playing with a pretty blond named Shigemi.

"I haven't, you have my word," I tell her with a chuckle. "It's just a very extreme case of beginner's luck."

Misora, Chiyo, Shigemi, and the girls watching us laugh.

Suddenly, there's a soft wailing sound that makes everyone silent. There's a slight rumble beneath our feet, and the water bubbling behind the propellers begins to move unevenly, calming and bubbling and calming again.

"Is something wrong?" Misora asks.

"Perhaps there's engine trouble?" I offer as the wailing continues.

"Isn't that really dangerous?" Chiyo asks, eyes flashing in worry. The girls around us begin to murmur in concern, some looking a bit scared.

"Why don't I go talk to the captain?"

The girls sigh in relief. Misora asks, "Are you sure you wouldn't mind?"

"Of course not," I assure her with a small, comforting smile. "You can choose someone to replace me while I go talk to him."

Misora nods, and I hand her my tang before walking across the deck to the bridge.

* * *

It took me a good ten minutes to find the bridge, given the yacht's large size and never-ending rooms. Luckily, the constant maps and common logic that the bridge would be near the front helped.

When I find the bridge, I push the swinging door open. The room has polished wooden floors, and the little walls that showed were azure, framed in gold wood. An unbelievably large control panel curves around the front of the bridge, covered in endless buttons, dials, and switches, as well as one large steering wheel. The captain of the yacht is standing in front of the wheel, dressed head to toe in a white uniform, complete with a black-billed hat and gold embroidery. I take notice in the fact that he's moving from dial to dial a bit quickly.

"Excuse me?"

The captain turns to me, and I get a batter look at his face. He has deep, Persian blue eyes and a large nose. His jet black hair is thick and scraggly, and it connects to a bushy beard that's turned gray in the chin. "Oh, 'ello there, sonny. What can I help yeh with?"

"I apologize for barging in on you, sir, but there was an odd...occurrence near the propellers and the guests were worried," I tell him with a bow.

"No need fer apologies," the captain waves with a hand, switching yet another dial. I can hear him mumble a curse.

"So I trust that everything is well?"

"Well..." the captain pauses, taking off his hat to run a hand through his hair, making it tousle. "I 'tink there might be some steam trouble down in the engine room."

"I see." I pause for a moment, then I ask, "Is there any way I may be of assistance?"

"No, a caurse not," the captain waves his hands in unison dismissal. "I'm not supposed ter waste the guests' time."

"But I'm volunteering, sir. I'd be happy to help."

"Well...If yeh could help me check downstahrs while I stahp the boat fer a minute, I'd greatleh appreciate it."

"Of course, Mr..."

"Kiyoshi Ehime, at yer service." The captain takes off his cap, placing it over his heart and bowing.

"I appreciate it, Mr. Ehime."

"You don't have ter call me mister, sonny."

"Yes, sir, Captain Ehime."

Captian Ehime sighs, and then says, "Well, let's go check out tha' engine room. We ain't gettin' any yanger."


	11. Predicament at Sea Part 2

**KOSUKE'S P.O.V.**

The engine room's probably one of the noisiest places I've ever been in. The clanking, pounding, and churning of the machinery send vibrations running up my legs. It was also warm in there, and puffs of steam hissed from cracks in metal pipes. As Captain Ehime walked forward, I followed, ducking under pips and stepping over wires. Finally, Captain Ehime stops in front of a large metal machine. It's voered from head to foot in gauges, the needles trembling with shifting power.

Captain Ehime takes in every gauge with intense focus. "Hm...Ever'ting's good here...Here, too...OK, I see the problem. The steam levels are vary low. We need ta fix that, or everyting's on this ship's gonna die. Ter's a leak here, somewhar. Take a look around, if ye want. Be carful, though."

"Yes, sir."

As I step away, already looking for the leak, he asks, "By the way, sonny, what's yer name?"

"Kosuke Nakahara, sir."

"T'anks. I was jurst wonderin'."

I nod and walk away, being careful not to touch the piping-hot metal of a few certain machines with the little bare skin I was showing. I walk a slowly, cautiously, just in case a blast of steam catches me off-guard. I do see an occasional bloom of the hot white vapor, but nothing out of the ordinary. So far, at the least.

Then, a hissing sound comes to my ears, like air leaving a balloon. Craning my neck, I can see a particular pipe blasting out a large burst of steam non-stop, the hot vapor disappearing into the air once it cools.

"Captain Ehime? I believe I found the leak."

Captain Ehime appears next to me so suddenly I almost think he was right behind me. I jump a foot in the air, almost hitting my scalp on a hot pipe. Captain Ehime brushes past me as he takes out a wrench from the scarlet toolbox he brought with him, closing it with a loud creak.

"Good eye, ma boy. Now, stay back. Ye nevar know when these things will blow."

"Yes, sir," I respond, stepping back a few pipes.

Captain Ehime, who had pulled on a pair of thick black working clothes a few minutes prior, crouches next to the pipe. He twists the wrench around the nut, tightening it with tiny, occasional whines. The blast of steam begins to shrink down meekly, and the Captain grunts as the nut becomes harder to twist. Finally, he lets go with the smallest of sighs, setting the wrench back in the box. The tool clinks against the metals of the other objects inside the rusting box.

"Alright. Now, if ye'll just hand me that tape thar, we'll get this beaut up 'n running again."

I give a small nod and shuffle through the tool box, pushing hammers, screwdrivers, wrenches and...other tools I cannot name out of the way, careful not to cut my fingers on anything. Pulling out the thick roll of gunmetal tape, about as big as my hand, I hand it to him, wiping the forming beads of sweat from my brow. He takes the tape, stretches it out loudly, and wraps it around the nut of the pipe, sealing whatever small leaks may have been there. Patting it like an obidient canine, he smiles at me and standsm pushing his hands on his knees. "Thar we go. Good as new. Let's get goin', ma boy. This sail won' las' long."

"Yes, sir," I reply and begin to backtreck through the narrow passage I came from, Captain Ehime following my footsteps. As we approach the metal stairs leading to the exit door, I can hear the captain freeze in his footsteps. Then, I can hear his footsteps heading in the other direction.

I turn around. The captain has stopped in front of the gauge-covered machine once more, inspecting it intently, looking as if he were solving a Professor-Layton puzzle.

"Captain Ehime? Is something wrong?"

The captain doesn't answer me immediately. He continues to inspect the gauges with undying focus, eyes darting from one to another and back again. His work-worn hand comes to his face, rubbing his bearded chin. "Tha's amiss..."

I step over to the gauge-machine and follow his gaze. One gauge is very high, higher than it ever should be. The gauges are patterned green, yellow, and red, accordin' to energy levels. Currently, the needle in this particular gauge is at the very end of the red area, trembling as if it were trying to break free. "Captian Ehime, if I may ask, what does that mean?"

Captain Ehime gives me a curt nod as he commands, "Stay 'ere."

He walks away from me, approaching the opposite side of the engine room, the sounds of his shoes hitting the cement floor in soft slaps. I crane my neck to watch as he opens a small metal door embedded in the wall with a loud creak, and I suppose it to be some sort of a fuse box. Inside, switches, buttons, and wires cover every square inch. The captain's Persian-blue gaze scans all of them, taking in every detail of every one. Finally, he makes an "ah!" sound and calls, "'Ere's the problam! This li'le one's out 'a pla-"

An explosion of sparks.

A sizzle of electric energy.

And the captain falls to the floor with a thump.

"Captain Ehime?!" I run to him, stumbling over a pipe embedded in the floor. I fall on my knees next to him, using my hands to brace my fall. I check the pulse inside his neck, pressing my index and middle finger there. Still there, but very feverish and pounding. He's unconcious, as unmoving and limp as a corpse. _O...kay, not the best thought there, Kosuke._ "Captain Ehime?" I shake him a bit, his body rolling back and forth. "Captain Ehime, I'd appreciate it if you would please wa-"

I cut off into a choked silence as the lights begin to flicker, buzzing like tiny bees. Slowly, at first, barely, about every ten seconds. Then quicker, to five seconds. Darkness for five seconds and light a half-second.

And then, finally, complete, utter darkness.

As I sit there, next to the fallen body of the captain, in utter darkness apart for the occasional red blinks of emergency lights, I can hear the muffled screams of the customers of the Host Club above. The screams of the customers and Tamaki. The sounds of the engines pumping slows to a stop, as if they were tired and taking a break.

I stand up shakily, my heart beating a bit faster. I have a..._slightly _large case of nyctophobia, and all I want to do right now is get out of here, into light.

Making a sound between a sigh and a groan, I flip the captain onto his belly with a hard push. I then grab his right arm and drape it over my shoulder. Reaching behind me, I drape his left arm over my other shoulder. With a grunt, I stand up, his full body weight on me. I feel as if I'm carrying a sandbag full of stones. This is going to take awhile...

* * *

It takes me a considerably long time just to get to the outside hallway, and longer to get up the stairs. My body's already sore, especially my shoulders and legs. My heart-rate remains steady, though, and that's all I needed to worry about, medical-wise. The captain's face is between my shoulders, and as I move, his head bobs side-to-side, his nose prodding my spine.

As I turn the corner, realizing it'll take me an eternity just to get to the upper deck, two familiar voices suddenly cal, "Kosuke!"

I stop in my sore footsteps, turning to my right to see Kaoru and Hikaru running towards me, their footsteps in perfect unison, their concerned expressions like mirrors. "Hey, are you-"

The both of them deadpan as they see the captain on my back, mouths snapping shut and bodies frozen.

I clear my throat nervously, an already-formed droplet of sweat dripping down my cheek. "I can explain."

* * *

"So, in short, Captain Ehime was electrocuted by a fuse box, resulting in both his unconsciousness and the ship losing power," Kyoya summarizes, pushing his glasses up his nose in one fluid movement.

"Yes," I nod, twisting my fingers together. It's a nervous habit of mine, next to tugging on my hair. But, given my wig, I can't.

We're currently velvet-seated at a circular table in the corner of the expansive dining hall. The rest of the snowy-white tables are packed with all of the customers, who are all murmuring in...excitement(?) as they munch on the snacks provided. The gigantic violet curtains covering the windows are pulled back, basking the hall in the bright glow of the ocean. Whatever wasn't caught in the light is caught in black darkness.

"This isn't good," Kyoya sighs, tucking his black notebook underneath his arm. "If events like this keep happening, the club will have to shut down."

"I'm pretty sure everyone thinks this is supposed to happen," Haruhi says, her arms crossed. "All the customers think this is part of the cruise and we're all playing hero for them."

"We have to make them keep thinking that," Kyoya says. "So we need to get the ship's electricity back as soon as possible. The electricity went out about fifteen minutes ago...So we have about seven hours, forty-five minutes before the yacht sinks."

Tamaki leaps into action without hesitation. He jumps up from his chair and points a finger at me so quickly I don't even have time to blink. "Kosuke, how do we get the ship's electricity back?"

A bead of exasperated sweat rolls down my temple. Giving Tamaki a small, lackluster smile, I say, "I'm not sure. Captain Ehime didn't exactly give me instructions before he was electrocuted."

Call me insane, but I think I hear the twins chuckle beside me.

"Maybe we should call someone," Honey says, riding atop of Mori's shoulders, as per usual, holding Usa-chan to his chest. I still can't believe he's graduated from high school. "Isn't there someone we can call for help?"

"There should be a radio in the bridge," Haruhi says, holding her slim index finger underneath her chin. "We should be able to call someone from there, if it runs on emergency electricity."

"Some of us should stay behind with our guests," Tamaki puts in, violet eyes ablaze in determined perseverance. "So half of us should go and half of us should stay." Tamaki grabs Haruhi by her waist and pulls her in for a hug, rubbing his head against hers like a lovesick puppy. You can practically see the little bubbly hearts in the air. "I vote that me and Haruhi should go."

"I'll stay here," I say, raising a hand with my offer. "I believe that Misora and Chiyo are worried."

"We'll stay, too," the twins put in, saluting like soldiers going into the battlefield.

"So Kyoya can stay, too, and Mori and Honey can come with us," Tamaki beams happily, arms spread wide. No wonder he's labeled as _princely. _"It all works out."

"Let's get going now," Haruhi sighs, already walking away. I feel absolute pity for her. She's been here for a year more than I have. She's been through this torture so much longer. "Or else this isn't going to work out at all, if you know what I mean."

As a reluctant Haruhi, a bubbling Tamaki (who's proclaiming something about _Operation: Save the Ootori Yacht_,) a giggling Honey, and a silent Mori walk away from the table, heading for the bridge, the twins sigh to themselves. "Why does this always happen when we go to the beach?"

* * *

"So this is all part of the act, right?" Misora asks, her head tilting to the right, causing her silky auburn hair to fall like a curtain around her elbows. She has a steaming plate of Karei no Nitsuke in front of her, the simmered fish half-eaten and bathing in a mixture of soy sauce, miso paste, sugar, mirin and sake.

"No, ma'am this is real," I tell her, in a tone that's both sincere and pushed, so they can't tell if I'm lying or telling the truth, but while also being polite. I trace my finger along the cool brim of my glass, which is bubbling with strawberry Ramune. Along with Chiyo and Misora, six other girls are seated at my table, listening intently. Just like normal Host Club days, the customers are rotating between the twins, Kyoya, and I.

I feel guilty lying to them, even if I'm telling them the truth at the same time. I can't remember the last time I lied, as I find lying to be very rude. Which it is, with my opinion or not. There's also another reason why I don't lie: my fingers twitch when I do. That's why I'm tracing my glass now.

"Well, I hope the electricity gets fixed soon," Chiyo says, piercing her vegetable lasagna with a silver fork before sticking the slice of mushroom, bell pepper, onion, and cheese into her mouth. Chiyo, being in a family of veterinarians, is a strict vegetarian. "If the AC gets knocked out, it'll get hotter in here than a bakery oven."

"So how did the electricity go out?" a girl with short, layered, light golden brown hair asks, twirling one of her bangs around her index finger.

"I'm afraid I don't know, ma'am," I tell her, taking my hands from my glass and shoving them under the tablecloth so no one can see them twitching with tiny spasms. "It's a mystery."

The girls around the table _oooooooh _in suspenseful excitement. It's sort of humorous, the situational irony. This yacht could be sinking in a matter of hours and these girls are excited. (Of course, it's not like they know.)

"Hey, Kosuke," a girl with deep, wine-colored eyes says as she swirls a roasted shrimp in a small bowl of sage white sauce. "Nothing bad's going to happen, right?"

_...Cripes._

My fingers begin to twitch so madly I entwine them in an effort to stop them. This only results in both of my hands trembling together. "Yes, ma'am. All is well."

"Good," the girl sighs as she bites off the head of the white-sauced shrimp. "I was worried the boat would sink, or something."

_Cripescripescripescripes!_

"Are you alright, Kosuke?" a girl with shoulder-length, softly curled aurburn hair asks, her malachite eyes filled with concern as she tilts her head to the side. "You seem kinda...fidgety."

"Yes, ma'am, I'm fine," I tell her, maybe a bit too quickly, putting on a smile so big I'm pretty sure I look kinda scary. "I haven't been on a boat this large before, and I suppose I'm a bit frightened."

A chorus of _"Awwwww" _chimes around the table, as the girls give me the exact same look you would give a little puppy. I can almost _see_ Honey giving me a thumbs-up, even though he isn't here.

"It's going to be OK, Kosuke," Misora assures me, her green eyes still glowing with a soft tenderness as she pats my shoulder lightly. "Nothing bad's going to happen."

Before I can reply, a hand rests on my shoulder. Jumping like a pogo stick on a trampoline, I look up to see Kyoya looking down at me, his gray eyes blocked by the ocean's glare on his glasses as he kneels down to my level.

"They need you in the bridge," he whispers, so that the girls won't hear, "They want to talk to you over the radio."

**There's part 2. I changed the episode title, since they won't be lost at sea after all.**

**(FAIL)**

**I'm making Kosuke's new catchphrase _cripes, _which basically means 'darn' or 'drat.' **

**I'll see you guys next time**

**~LunarisAmor**


	12. Predicament at Sea Part 3

**KOSUKE'S P.O.V.**

In reality, the tiny trek from the dining hall to the bridge took roughly five minutes. But it _felt _like it took five seconds. Like one moment, I was sitting in the dining hall talking to the customers, and the next moment, I'm pushing open the swinging door.

I'm not surprised with the scene in front of me. Honey is riding on top of Mori's shoulders, holding Usa-chan close as watches Haruhi and Tamaki with big, innocent eyes. Mori, of course, is silent. Tamaki is exploding in anger, flailing his arms as they point at the Haruhi scoldingly, face dusted in crimson and violet eyes ablaze as he gives her a fatherly lecture. And, of course, Haruhi is just standing a few feet away, a bead of sweat on a temple and an exasperated expression on her features.

"Excuse me?"

Tamaki stops yelling as I speak up, and the others look up at me. Haruhi looks relieved to see me, like she thought no one was going to save her from this torture. Again, I'm reminded she's been through this much, much longer than I have, and I feel pity for her once more.

Tamaki gives me his usual dazzling smile, grabbing the curly-wired tranciever from the radio with one fluid movement. "They want to talk to you."

I press the small transmit button on the side of the tranciever. "Hello?"

There are a few beats of flaring static silence before there's a clicking whine and then an almost incomprehensible voice. It sounds female, but the static is so fierce I can barely even make out the words, let alone the voice. _"Kosuke Nakahara?"_

"Yes...ma'am?"

_"I need you to tell me everything that happened in the engine room."_

I retell everything that had happened in the last hour, as the others wait patiently behind me. I repeat everything, from me going to see Captain Ehime in the bridge to the electricity going out. My voice is the only sound in the bridge, along with the constant crackle of static from the tranciever.

As I finish telling my tale, the woman(?) on the other side of the radio begins speaking before I say the last word. _"How long has the electricity been out?"_

"An hour."

_"Alright, there's seven hours left before the yacht starts to sink. So if we do this right, we should have plenty of time. Now, I need you to listen, because I don't know how long the emergency electricity will last."_

"Yes, ma'am. I'm listening."

_"There are two fuse boxes on the yacht. One of them's an emergency box. It's in the engine room, but you won't be able to immediately see it. It's hidden under a panel right in front of the fuse box. Got that?"_

"Yes, ma'am."

_"It's bolted into the floor, so you'll need a screwdriver. When you open it, it's gonna be locked. The key is in the captain's cabin. After you open that, there are seven switches, and there are six you'll need to turn on. I'm going to tell you which ones, alright?"_

"Yes, ma'am."

_"You need to turn on all five switches on the left side. Now, this is very, very, important, so you may want to write this down. The __one other switch__ you need to turn on is the-"_

The woman's voice disappears into a flare of angry static. There's a soft click, and then the tranciever goes dead in my grasp.

"Hello?" I say, pressing down on the button and letting it go. There's no sound, not even a tiny click, so I repeat myself louder. "Hello?"

"The emergency electricity's gone out," Haruhi groans, using her palm to slap her face. Tamaki immediately grabs it and sets it to her side, giving her a fatherly 'don't-hurt-yourself' glare.

"So we need a flashlight, a wrench, and the captain's key, right?" Honey says, his chin resting on top of Mori's head, his own head tilted to the side.

"Right," Mori replies simply.

"The captain's tool box is still in the engine room," I tell them, "So if we get the flashlight first, we should be able to go back there and pick it up."

"Alright, we need to split up!" Tamaki declares, striking a pose with one hand on his hip, one hand raised so he can point his index finger at nothing in particular. Sigh. Here we go. "Haruhi and I will go to the captain's cabin to get the key. I'm pretty sure the emergency packs on the lifeboats have flashlights, so you three need to go get one. Split up, men!"

Before any further questions can be made, Tamaki presses his hands between Haruhi's shoulders and pushes her out of the bridge.

If Honey and/or Mori are fazed, neither of them show it. Honey simply jumps off of Mori's shoulders, in a very rabbit-like manner. Giving me an adorable smile, he takes my hand in his tiny one. "Come on, Kosu-chan!"

I let out a small exclamation of surprise when Honey bounds out of the bridge and into the hall, pulling me along with him as Mori follows calmly behind.

* * *

"Here we are!"

To my surprise, the lifeboat wasn't that much more luxurious than others. It was of typical shape, roughly ovular, with a purple tarp draped across the metal frame. _大鳥 _is written in gold on the side, just like the yacht.

I step up the tiny set of metal stairs, pushing the purple tarp open with my arm. Mori and Honey step inside, and I follow. The inside of the lifeboat was lined with purple nylon seats, each with a set of two seatbelts. Underneath each seat is a small door, which I guess leads to the survival kits, water bottles, and food. The sunlight shining through the tarp casts everything in a golden purple glow.

We begin searching the contents of the compartments. All I can find is bottles of clean water and ready-to-be-set life jackets, as well as amazing first aid kits and a small fire extinguisher. Honey seems to be in the same predicament as I am, because his eyebrows are furrowing and his lips are pouting. _Is he really a high school graduate?_

"Here it is," Mori says, making me jump. Mori almost never talks, and when he does, it has a tendency to scare me.

Honey and I turn around to see Mori setting the suitcase-like surival kit on the floor of the lifeboat, flipping the locks and opening it. It's filled with the basics, compasses and flares and desalination kits. There's also some more uncommon objects, like binoculars and tablet medicines. But the only thing we notice is the flashlight, bright orange and perfectly clean. Honey giggles excitedly and starts picking up items from the kit, tinkering around with them curiously.

I pick up the flashlight and push the button with my thumb. The bulb turns on bright and healthy, perfectly powered.

"Take some extra batteries, just in case," Mori tells me, surprising me once more.

I nod and pick up the pack of batteries in the survival kit, opening it to find it packed tight with thirty or so. I take out two, tucking them into my pocket.

"That should do," I tell Mori, "I'll help you-"

_POW!  
_

I let out a little scream at the sudden burst of explosibe sound. Mori simply raises an eyebrow as he looks behind him, at the sky. I follow his gaze, eyes the size of saucers, through the flaming hole in the tarp.

A flare is shooting upwards, like a firework. The bright ball of neon flame leaves a stream of smoky air behind it, staining the blue sky gray. It sails a hundred or so feet in the air before bursting into a blossom of red.

Honey stares down at the smoking flare-gun in his grasp, eyes wide and mouth gaping.

Mori's facial expression never changes, but his onyx gaze goes stern on the childish teen in front of him. "Mitsukuni."

Honey pouts as he slowly sets the flare-gun back into the kit, like a child who was caught with his hand in the cookie jar. "I'm sorry, Takashi..."

As Mori begins packing up the survival kit once more, putting the items just as they were before, I stand up and step forward to hold open the tarp for them. But as I do, my foot catches on something and I trip, falling forward. My knees hit the hard floor as my palm slapped against something round and flat.

"Kosu-chan, are you OK?" Honey asks, quickly stepping to my side to help me up. Or at least help me up as much as his small body can, which Usa-chan still in hand.

"I'm fine," I tell him, looking down at what I tripped over. A perfectly sharpened hatchet, I guess something we forgot to pack back in. With my luck, I'm surprised I didn't cut myself on it.

Mori mumbles an apology as he picks up the hatchet and sets it back into the survival kit. As he closes the lid on it, snapping the locks, Honey's head perks up. He looks as rabbit-like as ever. "Do you guys hear that?"

I tilt my head, listening as well. Sure enough, I can hear a constant _click-click-click _sound coming from above, somewhat like machinery. I step forward, pulling back the tarp to look outside.

_The lifeboat is lowering into the ocean._

I let out a small scream, jumping back so fast I land on my rear end. Honey gives me a worried look, and he opens his mouth to ask (I presume) what was wrong. Before he can ask, however, Mori stands up and takes a handful of the tarp into his grasp, pulling the whole thing down through the frame as if it were nothing.

When Honey sees we're lowering into the ocean, he lets out a scream similar to mine, clutching Usa-chan so close I'm surprised the poor stuffed animal didn't burst. He then jumped onto Mori's leg, hugging onto it for dear life.

The lifeboat touchea the water, and the lines that were lowering it snap off. I teeter as the waves lap at the boat, causing it to toss and turn. Mori, despite his size and height, manages perfect balance, even with Honey strapped onto his leg. He stoops down, putting his hands under my arms and pulling me to my feet as if I was no more than a doll. "Stay calm," he tells me, gesturing to my HRD, which has gotten dangerously loud with its beeping. I nod, taking a deep breath. The HRD quiets a bit.

"Takashi, what do we do?" Honey's eyes are brimming with scared tears, his lower lip trembling. Even Usa-chan looks scared.

"Hello?" two familiar voices, almost exactly alike, call from the yacht's deck, which seems miles away right now. I never thought I'd be so happy to hear those voices! "Who's out here?"

"Hikaru?!" I call, cupping my hands to my mouth. My voice is slightly drowned in the strong gusts of salty wind. "Kaoru?!"

To my expectation, as well as my immense relief, two ginger twins lean their heads over the railing in perfect unison, amber eyes wide. The twins are silent for a torturingly long moment, staring at us madly as their jaws drop and their eyebrows rise.

_"...What_ _are you guys DOING?!"_

"We accidentally deployed the lifeboat," I call in answer, holding my arms out as a gesutre to the small vessel. Out of the corner of my eye, I can see Honey's blonde head moving from the twins to me as we speak back and forth. We're moving away from the yacht quickly, the lifeboat being pulled by the tugging tide.

"Hold on!" the twins reply.

The twins disappear, their heads vanishing over the railing. I feel my insides clench in a panic, then relax when the twins reappear. By this time, their heads are the size of a golfball, getting ever-so-slightly smaller as the lifeboat continues to be pulled further into the ocean.

Something very long and snake-like flies through the air, sailing towards our lifeboat. As it flies closer, I realize it's a rope, and I lunge forward to grab it. Finally, my grip is on it, holding it like a lifeline.

"Tie it to the cleat!" the twins call down, pointing to the nose of the boat. I look at it, identifying the 'cleat' as the metal peg used to tie rope around to docks. Perfect!

I move forward to tie it, but Mori takes the rope from my hands, saying that he'll do it. I let him, knowing he can tie the rope much tighter than I ever will be able to. Although he does tie it veyr well, the rope is thick and the peg is small, and a nagging feeling prods my spine as I watch the rope vibrate with the movement of the waves.

"What are we supposed to do?" I ask Mori as I tear my eyes away from the knot. The nagging feeling doesn't go away.

As Honey steps past him, Mori simply replies, "We climb it."

My eyes widen and I look over at Honey. Sure enough, he's stepping up to the cleat, smiling like nothing was wrong at all whilst humming a happy tune to himself. To add to my surprise, Honey _**runs**__ up the rope, _with perfect grace and balance, all the way up to the deck. He jumps off the rope in a rabbit-like bound, landing right next to the twins.

Mori climbs up next, just as I think he should. Back facing the water, hands and knees around the rope as he sort of shinnies up to the deck. He steps off casually, as I expected.

When Mori steps onto the deck, I hesitate, giving the rope a long, hard look. By this time, the lifeboat is so far away from the yacht the rope is pulled tight, hardly swaying at all. The other Host's heads are barely the size of my thumbnail. My stomach feels like it's crawling with something all of a sudden, and I have an odd pulsing at my temple.

"C'mon, Kosuke!" Kaoru's voice is very distant over the sounds of the lapping waves and sea gusts.

"Hurry up!" Hikaru adds, and even from my distance from him, I can feel the look of impatience he's giving me.

When I continue to hesitate, never taking my gaze from the rope, I can hear Kaoru sigh, so soft it's like a feather in the breeze. "Look, the rope won't break!"

"And if it just gets untied, just swim back to it!" Hikaru tells me.

I clear my throat to get rid of the whine in it before I call back, "I can't swim."

The only sounds in the air is the slaps of the waves against the sides of the lifeboat, the salty wind in my ears, and the far-away cries of the seagulls. I begin to twist my fingers.

"Are you freaking serious?" the twin's exasperated voices call, and I sweat in discomfort.

"I never learned how..." I call back, my voice fading into a faint exclamation as I continued twisting my fingers more frequently.

"Kosu-chan, there's no other choice!" Honey calls, standing on his tip-toes as much as he could, but all I can see is a speck of golden brown hair.

"You won't fall in!" Kaoru assures me. As I stare at the rope, my heartbeat pounding like a drum, his voice sounds whispery and wavery, like he's speaking from inside a bubble. Every line of every surface seems hazy now, almost fluffy. The waves look like leaves brushing against the boat, and the clouds are nothing more than white blots. The yacht seems like a five-year-old's drawing.

"We promise!" Hikaru adds, his voice just like his brother's.

Deciding there's no other choice, I step forward.

I approach the rope from behind, so I can climb it just as Mori did. Gripping my palms around the rope, as well as wrapping my knees around it, I begin to climb the rope, my limbs trembling.

I do my best to ignore the suddenly deafening waves of the bottomless, cold, dark, man-eating ocean beneath me, as well as the gusts of salty air that chill me to the bone even though they're warm. I tell myself to focus on the sky above, and it helps, in a way. I try to see what shapes I can see in the clouds, count the seagulls, try to name what color the sky is...

_Ignore how the rope seems to be getting looser, more wobbly..._

_**"KOSU-CHAN, HOLD ON!"**_

Before I can ask what Honey meant, both ends of the rope let go.

_CRIPES CRIPES CRIPES CRIPES CRIPES CRIPES CRIPES CRIPES CRIPES CRIPES CRIPES CRIPES CRIPES CRIPES CRIPES CRIPES CRIPES CRIPES CRIPES CRIPES CRIPES CRIPES CRIPES CRIPES CRIPES CRIPES CRIPES CRIPES CRIPES CRIPES CRIPES CRIPES CRIPES CRIPES CRIPES CRIPES CRIPES CRIPES CRIPES CRIPES CRIPES CRIPES CRIPES CRIPES CRIPES CRIPES CRIPES CRIPES CRIPES_

The end of the rope tied to the cleat splashes into the water, disappearing into the robin blue infinity. The end of the rope on the yacht, however, suddenly tightens.

But these are things I'm only vaguely aware of.

As the rope unties, my body swings through the air, salty wind whipping at my clothes. My stomach does gargantuan somersaults as I swing down to the ocean waves, up in the air, down to the ocean waves, up in the air, my grip painfully tight and my throat as dry as sawdust.

My screams waver as I swing back and forth, and up above, the Hosts (minus Mori, although he's the one who's holding onto the rope with his super-strength) yell and call to me, waving their arms and hands like madmen.

"KOSUKE, DON'T LET GO!"

"WHY WOULD HE LET GO?!"

"TRY TO CLIMB UP THE-"

"NO, NO, NO! STAY ABSOLUTELY STILL!"

I tighten my grip on the rope, waiting for the rope to stop in motion. It seems to take eternity, but finally, _finally, _the rope almost entirely stops.

My grip never loosens, my heartbeat never slows, and my eyes never shrink from their bulging size.

The Hosts seem to be recovering as well, because it takes a long while before the twins quietly call, "You can climb now..."

I only nod, my arms and legs moving robotically as the rest of my body stays entirely frozen.

* * *

It takes a hundred years until I finally reach the deck. Not literally, of course, but that's how it seems, because it feels like forever until my clammy hands touch the cool railing and all of my joints seem aged and tired.

As I climb over the railing, the twins' arms outstretched to help me, the toe of my left sandal catches onto the painted pole, and I fall forward.

Right onto Kaoru.

In the blink of an eye, I'm laying on top of Kaoru, right in front of the others. My arms are on either side of his head, his hands are very close to my hips, and our nose are pratically touching. Though my face heats up only slightly, Kaoru's entire face goes a dark rose color.

Before anyone can take notice, I quickly pick myself up and offer a hand out to Kaoru. Trying to hide his flushed face as much as he could, he takes it and lifts himself up, brushing his clothes of the nonexistent dust, his hands trembling.

"See?" Hikaru's voice saves us from the awkward tone, a smirk on his face. "You didn't fall in."

I give Hikaru an exasperated squint, a bit of sweat rolling down my cheek. Before I can retort, or so much as point out I was one movement away from actually falling in, Honey cuts in and asks, "Do you have the flashlight, Kosu-chan?"

I reach into my pocket and take out the flashlight, so they can all see it clearly. "Yes, I have it."

"Let's go," Mori tells us, already turning around and heading back. Honey doesn't hesitate a beat before he smiles broadly and bounds after his cousin.

As the twins brush past me, I turn around and stare back at the lifeboat that almost killed me. It's floating away quickly, growing smaller and smaller, from the size of a golfball to my fingernail to a pinhead. Then, it's gone.

_Huh. Wonder where it'll go._

* * *

Two hours into the future, a fifty-year-old man, trapped on the deserted island for the past forty years, sees the lifeboat pulling into the shore. Giving a whoop of joy, he skips to it.

* * *

_This is my third near-death experience ever since I joined the club, _I suddenly realize.

"Kosu-chan, come on!"

Honey's calling voice snaps me from my thoughts. Giving the water one last, long look, I jogged up the deck to catch up to my fellow club members.

* * *

We meet up with Tamaki and Haruhi amidship. When we catch sight of them, in the bright light of the portholes, we all freeze in confusion. The two teenagers look like the victims of a classic prank. Their skin and clothes are coated in a film of glue, some patches drying and peeling while others are still dropping in sticky pellets onto the carpet. They're dressed in a small coat of white feathers, like chickens who had fistfuls of their plumage ripped from their bodies. Their hair looks like mangled nest on their heads, nothing but sticky knots crested by white fluff. They both have identical pique expressions on their faces, wrinkled by dry slathers of glue.

The seven of us stare at each other for a long moment, in confusion and exasperation. Honey opens his mouth as if to speak, and Haruhi immediately snaps before he can. "Don't ask."

"We got the key," Tamaki proclaims, obviously fighting down the fact that his princely good looks are tampered. He reaches into his pocket, fishing around a moment before pulling it back out. In his grasp is nothing but a plume of sticky white feathers, like a gooey-soft snowball. Seeing this, he blows a big puff of air at the plume, and the feathers fly away like seeds on a dandelion. He hands it to me, and I stuff it in my pocket.

"And we nearly demolished the entire cabin in the process," Haruhi adds, trying to peel off the patches of dried glue on her left hand. This attempt is made impossible because her right hand is still dripping the white adhesive.

"That's nothing," Kaoru says, reaching over and taking the flashlight from my hand, in such a way it seems like he thinks my skin is made of acid. He waves the flashlight back and forth. "We got the flashlight."

"And one of us nearly drowned in the process," Hikaru adds, in a sort of bragging manner. He nudges me with his elbow teasingly.

"Well, we're all fine now, so let's just get the electricity back, OK?" says Haruhi, putting her hands on her hips. Realizing her mistake, she tries to pry them free. The left hand peels off easily, but the right has already fused to the fabric. A vein pulses in her forehead angrily.

"Perhaps a few of us should return to the dining hall," I suggest, kicking at the feathers that landed on my sandals. "I believe Kyoya's having difficulty taking care of all the guests."

"Kosuke's right," agrees Tamaki, forgetting about his looks and taking over as king once more. Tamaki may be moody sometimes (most times, I suppose) but he knows how to lead, that's for sure. "The guests have to be getting anxious by now. I'll volunteer to return." He smirks at this last proclamation, sweeping his blonde bangs from his eyes, the air around him sparkling with charm. However, the sparkling dims a bit when he has to yank his fingers out of his bangs. There's a small ripping sound, and his sticky fingers are covered in blonde hairs when he pulls them away. He looks like he's about to cry.

In order to advert the incoming breakdown, Honey quickly pipes up, "Takashi and I'll go, too." We all give Honey and his cousin a look of thanks.

"The four of us will go take care of the fuse box," announces Haruhi. The cross-dressing brunette steps over to the twins and I, feathers falling off of her like snow with every step. "You guys go ahead."

Tamaki's face drains of all blood for a second, his eyes wide and milky with shock. Then he rounds on the girl of his affections, standing a foot in front of her in the blnk of an eye. "YOU CAN'T GO DOWN THERE! WHAT IF SOMETHING HAPPENS AND YOU-"

"Senpai."

Tamaki's shouting voice stops immediately when Haruhi puts her palm on his shoulder, giving him a stern stare. The simple gesture, not very sentimental at all, is enough to make every millimeter of the teenage boy's skin to go ablaze. He's blushing so hard you can feel the heart radiating from his body. It's really cute, the scene before the twins and I. Would be cuter if there wasn't so many glue and feathers.

Anyway, Haruhi just continues giving Tamaki a stern look, like a girl talking to her father (which, in a way, this was the case), and says, "I'll be fine. Don't worry."

Of course, even the nonsentimental words and gesture are enough to make Tamaki swoon. His blush lightened to a rosy pink color, his eyes identical to that of a lovesick puppy's. "Alright, Haruhi~!" he sings, and then frolicks after Honey and Mori in such a way it almost seems as if he's dancing on thin air.

We all watch the smitten teen frolick away until he disappears around the corner. Then, to get things moving, the twins tell us, "Well, the electricity isn't gonna fix itself," and walk away so close together it's like they're in an eternal one-legged race.

Haruhi lets the twins walk a few yards ahead before she turns to me, her expression a mix of embarassment and exasperation. "Could you help me...?" She leaves the question hanging, waving her hands at her current appearence.

"Of course," I give her a small smile that's more of a tug of my lips. We begin to follow the twins, plucking off feathers and peeling away glue from her body as we do.

* * *

By the time we reach the door to the engine room, we managed to clean up most of Haruhi's messed-up profile. We peeled away all the dry glue, and stopped by the bathroom for paper towels to wipe away the remaining, still gooey adhesive. We picked off all of the feathers, leaving a trail of white plumage all down the halls and staircases. But her hair and clothes will still remain matted until she gets the opportunity to wash them.

When the porthole windows stopped appearing, I turned on the flashlight, illuminating our way. At last, the door of the engine room is before us, our salvation just beyond it. I push open the door, holding it for the others.

I was hoping that the flashlight would take care of some of the darkness, easing my nictophobia at least slightly. But somehow, the beam of the flashlight only makes the enviroment scarier, like some sort of first-person horror video game.

Yes, I've played video games before. So sue me.

Our footsteps are the only things avoiding absolute silence. Apparently, I'm not the only one uncomfortable with the darkness. Our small group of four seems to pack tighter, or closer to me since I'm the one with the flashlight.

We reach the fallen tool box, its items strewn across the floor. We bend down, searching for the screwdriver. Haruhi finally picks it up, and we find the top of the fuse box embedded in the floor.

I set the tip of the screwdriver into the groove of a screw and I twist it free. I repeat this action with the remaining screws, and Haruhi picks up each one, putting them back into the toolbox. Finally, I take off the panel of the fuse box, revealing another panel beneath it. The only thing binding this to the floor is a locked keyhole. Immediately, I take out the key from my pocket and push it into the keyhole, twisting it. It clicks open, and I swing open the second panel.

There are seven switches inside, all currently turned off. Five switches are to the left and the remaining two are to the right.

"All five switches to the left," the twins remind me.

I follow their instructions, flipping the switch of all five. A small green light turns on with each. But then, when I reach the remaining two, I hesitate.

"She never said which one to turn on," Haruhi remembers, looking over my shoulder to see my predicament.

"She said there was _one _more," Kaoru points out.

"Meaning that there's one we're _not _supposed to turn on," Hikaru adds.

The twins share panicked expressions, then their topaz eyes go wide in fear. "What if one of them's a self-destruct button? Or a missile launcher? Or-"

"Why on earth would a yacht have any of those?" Haruhi interrupts, a vein in her forehead pulsing with annoyance.

The twins give each other a quick 'she-has-a-point-look' before they turn to her, eyes narrowed but still in fear. "But how do you know something bad won't go wrong if we turn on the wrong switch?"

To that, Haruhi has no answer. But the twins are right. We don't know what the wrong switch will do. Surely it's not a self-destruct button, or a missile launcher, but how do we know something horrible won't happen?

"I suppose I'll have to guess, then," I say aloud, more to myself than to the others. They nod, silencing themselves to give me room to think.

Just one switch, right? No big deal...OK, yes, big deal. Everyone on this boat is depending on me right now, and I'm here playing a mental game of "Eeny-Meeny-Miny-Moe!" Could I be more hopeless?!

"No pressure," Haruhi tells me, reaching a hand out to pat my shoulder. But she pulls it back, I suppose because she thinks it will add pressure.

"If anything happens, it's not your fault," say the twins.

They have a point. If anything bad happens, how will it be my fault? I had no way of knowing!

Deciding it'll just be better to get it over with, my trembling hand reaches for the top switch, pale in the flashlight's beam.

"Just don't think about the yacht sinking," Kaoru tells me, he voice in a whisper to not mess up my concentration as much.

Of course, this makes an image of the yacht sinking, everyone drowning and screaming for help, enter my brain. My hand freezes, then moves for the bottom switch.

"Or exploding," says Hikaru, his voice in the same volume as his younger brother's.

Another image, one of the yacht in flames, everyone running around and screaming like living fireballs, flashes in front of my mind's eye. My hand moves back to the top switch.

"Or capsizing."

My hand moves for the bottom switch.

"Or obliterating."

Top.

"Or disentegrating."

Bottom.

"Or Titanicing."

"WOULD YOU BOTH STOP IT?!" Haruhi yells at them, her angry voice bouncing off of the surfaces of the machines. She's rounded on them, eyes ablaze with annoyance. "YOU'RE MAKING THIS A MILLION TIMES WORSE!"

"We're just trying to lighten the mood," the twins say, glaring at the wall, trying to look like they don't care. But I can hear the sheepish tone in their voices.

"THE MOOD IS AS HEAVY AS IT CAN BE RIGHT NOW!" shouts Haruhi, her voice only increasing in both anger and volume.

"I'd appreciate it if you would be quiet."

My voice finally catches their attention, and they both shut their mouths tight.

Finally, closing my eyes tight and bracing my body for whatever may come, I turn on the right switch.

The engine room is in total darkness and silence for the next few, sensitive moments.

Then, sound and movement pounds so loudly that the floor vibrates beneath me. I barely even take notice in the light that suddenly fills the enviroment.

"You did it, Kosuke!" Haruhi cheers, letting out a humongous sigh of relief. Her body falls when the weight of stress is taken from it. She almost drops next to me.

The twins suddenly scoop me into their arms, squishing me between them. They start rubbing their cheeks against my head, my wig ruffling at their touch. They burst out in the same cheer they did when I was fighting Osamu, their singing choruses of "KOSUKE, KOSUKE, HE'S OUR MAN!" overpowering the volume of the engines.

For a split second, I actually consider them to be my friends.

* * *

We pulled into the shore immediately, Kyoya surprising us all by steering the yacht perfectly, knowing every single button and switch with flawless knowledge. We thanked the customers for remaining calm (in such a way they wouldn't know if the whole thing was real or not) and not interfering. We shook hands and kissed knuckles and, occasionally, hugged the customers as they piled onto the dock, into their awaiting vehicles. Chiyo gave me a thumbs-up and Misora hugged me so tight she actually lifted me off the ground before they hopped into Chiyo's oldest brother's sedan. Captain Ehime, who insisted he could drive himself home after hours in the sick bay, slaps me on the back so hard I almost fall flat on my face. A small few customers were talking about how well we played the whole thing off, but the majority of the girls were talking about our 'bravery' and 'fearlessness.'

And all I did was turn on a switch.

I should give myself some credit, though. I'll probably have nightmares for days on end.

By the time the last of the customers had left the ship, the sun was a sphere of bright orange on the horizon. The water reflected its color, glimmering like citrine liquid. The sky was flamed in colors of amber, brink pink, and lavender.

Somehow, through the terror of the day, the sea was still my favorite place on Earth.

"See?" Tamaki smiled at Kyoya, who was once again drawing in his black notebook. Tamaki, too, had gotten rid of all the glue and feathers from his skin and clothes. But like Haruhi, he needed a good washing when he got home. His clothes were stiff and his hair was a bird's nest. "The yacht's still afloat, no one got hurt, and everyone thinks it was all planned!"

"Yes, they do," Kyoya replies. Then, he stops writing in his notebook, eerily silent. When he turns around to look at us...Well, you know how they say "If looks could kill"? If that were true right now...We'd be rotting in the underworld. _"And if any of you tell them any differently, you'll pay your own price."_

Each one of us pales in fear, shrinking down from the suddenly demonic teenager in front of us. Tamaki teleports from beside to Kyoya to behind Haruhi, hiding, in the blink of an eye. We all reply, in one voice, "Yes, sir."

Kyoya goes back to normal immediately. Clicking his pen and shutting his notebook, he gives us a wave over his shoulder as he walks away, his footsteps creaking against the salty wood. "I expect to see you all Monday."

As Kyoya walks away, Honey lets out a yawn so big his eyes tear up. Without a single word of command, Mori begins to follow Kyoya down the boardwalk. Honey smiles at us over his shoulder. "Bye, guys."

"I need to get going, too," Haruhi sighs, following the three. "I gotta make dinner for Dad." She looks down at her hoodie, stretching out the soiled fabric. "And wash myself up."

"I'll give you a ride home~!" Tamaki sings, taking Haruhi by the arm before she can reply. As he begins to skip down the boardwalk, poor little Haruhi flailing behind him, he calls back, "Have a nice weekend, guys!"

The twins and I wave after him. My eyes flicker to the yacht, then to the twins. A small smile, a smirk, really, forms on my face. "So what do you both think of yachts now?"

The twins seemed surprised at my teasing. It was the first time, I realized, that I actually joked around with them. Or anyone, in a long time. But they quickly recover, frowning and quirking up eyebrows. I can see the tease in their eyes. "How rude."

Realizing my mistake, I quickly bow down, almost giving myself whiplash. "I apologize, I apologize!"

The twins' eyes widened in surprise. Quickly holding out their hands to calm me, they hastily exclaim, "It's fine! It's fine!"

I sigh in relief, rubbing the back of my neck nervously. My faux blond wig tickled my palm. Then, straightening the hem of my hoodie, I tell them, "I'm going to return home as well. My siblings are probably worried about me. "

"Alright," the twins reply, splitting apart momentarily to step past me. Waving at me over their shoulders, they bid me a "See ya later" as they step down the wooden planks.

I think I see Kaoru glancing at me over his shoulder, but I can't be sure.

I watch them all walk away. Kyoya, Mori, and the twins are silent, Honey is raving about the day's events, Tamaki is cheerfully babbling about how glad he is no one got hurt, Haruhi keeps exclaiming in surprise and Tamaki makes her stumble over and over. Seven teens, all in stark contrast, all living different lives. And yet, they all care about one another. Because they're friends.

But not mine.

I turn around to look back at the sun on the water line. I take in a deep breath of the salty air, taking in the sounds of the waves smacking against the wooden columns of the boardwalk and the seagulls screeching overhead. The water continues to shimmer beautifully, and I raise my hand to it. Compared to the bright orange of the sunshine, my hand is practically black.

Before I can stop myself, my hand reaches into my pocket and pulls out the object. It shines bright in the sunlight, so bright that it almost burns my eyes. It's cool in my grasp, and the salty mist makes it sparkle.

The little girl's locket.

I stuff it back into my pocket before I can become tempted to open it. I turn onto my heel harshly, stomping down the boardwalk hastily. The sunlight makes my shadow loom like a giant across the salty planks of wood.

I can't open it. I won't open it. Ever again. Because I know what I'll see when I do.

A small, lifeless watch, never ticking.

**Aaaaand that's it for episode 4! Hoped you guys like it. If you guys have any complaints, or if I did something wrong, PLEASE tell me. And if you want to suggest an episode, SEND IN AS MANY AS YOU WANT. I NEED NEW IDEAS.**

**Also, I want to change the main theme. If you have any suggestions, please feel free to share.**

**~LunarisAmor**


	13. Bandit of the Bunch Part 1

**KOSUKE P.O.V.**

**Fun fact #1 (decided I'd start doing these): I looked it up the other day, and I found out the name "Kosuke" is normally pronounced as "K-OH-S-KAI." I would like to tell you that Kosuke's name is pronounced "KOH-ZOO-KAY"**

* * *

In the days that followed the Yacht Catastrophe, the already-present insecurity I felt with the Host Club intensified.

Kyoya I have always felt insecure with. The way his glasses flash white, whether there's light in the room or not, always make everyone feel cautious around him, as if it's a warning to leave him alone. The black notebook he always writes in creates a sort of eerie feeling about him, because no one knows what he writes in it. Some rumors suggest it's something to keep up with the club's information, others suggesting that it's a journal of a sort. These are the more likely ones. A few students said that the notebook's used to plan out crime schemes or write out incantations for demonic summonings. These two things don't actually bother me. It's just his _knowledge _that creeps me out. He knows _everything_ about you. Whether it's just your eye/hair color or your age, or one of your most personal secrets. Like, I don't know..._The fact that I'm cross-dressing as a boy. _But I know Kyoya was a good guy at heart. He has a soft spot for everyone in the club, especially Tamaki. I found out a few days ago that Tamaki and Kyoya have actually been best **friends** ever since middle school. All in all, Kyoya is intriguing, but not someone you would be scared of.

Mori's fine. He doesn't talk much, but I respect that. He keeps to himself, only talking when others address him. He keeps cool and collective the majority of the time, but if one of his **friends** ever gets in a mishap, he doesn't hesitate to help out. Which I suppose is why he's labeled as the "Wild Type", because he acts on instinct. I know he and Honey are cousins, but I swear it's like they're brothers sometimes. Somehow, he manages to pull off the 'Big-Brother' act and the 'Wild Animal' act in perfect harmony. Like Kyoya, he's intriguing, but not scary.

How on earth could you feel insecure with Honey? He's almost literally a child. Looks like a child, acts like a child, altogether childish despite him being a high school graduate. He's a perfect little angel, basically. He'll almost always be the first to help a **friend**, he can make you smile no matter what mood you're in, and all you have to do is _imply _you're hungry and a cake the size of your head is offered instantly. It's not only these things that make me feel happy to be around him. It's also the fact that he reminds me so much of Minami. They're almost perfect copies, except for age, of course, and the fact that Honey's a world-champion karate master. You may feel intrigued by his older age but young appearance, but you get over it very quickly.

Tamaki's difficult to describe, opinion-wise. With customers, he's a charming prince who stops at nothing to flatter them and make them feel good about themselves. With Haruhi, he's smitten hopeless. With the twins, he's like an annoyed older brother dealing with his younger siblings. And with the others, he's a fearless leader that will never hesitate to take charge. He gets overly happy, dramatically devastated, ridiculously terrified, ferociously angry, and hopelessly love-struck. But despite his charming personality and constant mood flashes, he's always there for his **friends **and will do anything to help them. He may be a bit of an oddball, but overall, I think he's the best president a club could have.

I don't think the twins are necessarily intriguing. They always speak their minds, almost never keep their opinions to themselves. They're also the most devious people I known. True to their "Little Devil Type" title, the twins can pull of pranks flawlessly and if there's anything to be teased for, they _can and will _tease you for it. Despite this, they're very trustworthy and will keep a secret with their lives. Whether it's for a good cause or a bad cause, they'll always be there to cheer on a **friend, **even in their darkest hour. Though annoying at sometimes, they can go from devilish and sneaky to brave and caring in the blink of an eye.

Haruhi has become my role-model of sorts. Independent, straightforward, down-to-earth, trustworthy and responsible, a wonderful person to make a **friend **of. She knows you shouldn't judge something by looks, wealth, class or gender. Though I'm not technically a "commoner" as people refer to me (my family is very wealthy, we just live simple lives), I know the kind of prejudice Haruhi is put up with. Of course, we also have to put up with the challenge of pretending to be boys together, so we understand each other entirely. Unlike the others, Haruhi is almost never naive, unless it comes to Tamaki's obvious feelings for her. She's like the mother of the club, the one everyone turns to when they need advice.

It isn't the Host's personalities that made me edgy.

It's the way they treat me.

They're always there to comfort me, to support me, to make me feel better.

Like we were **friends**.

"Kosuke? Are you alright?"

Chiyo's worried voice snaps me back to reality. She and Misora are giving me identical looks of concern, lips frowning and eyebrows furrowed.

"Yes, I'm fine," I say, maybe a little too quickly. Leaning forward in an attempted bow, I add, "I apologize. It was rude of me to become distracted while you were addressing me."

"If you're fine, it's fine," Misora assures me with a kind smile, taking a sip of her tea.

"I appreciate it," I reply as I rub the back of my neck bashfully.

"Are you sure you're alright, Kosuke? You've been acting weird lately."

I turn around at Haruhi's voice. She's giving me the same look Misora and Chiyo are, filled with concern and worry. Today, the Club's dressing theme is "Wizard of Oz." Haruhi, of course, was forced to be Dorothy. Or, should I say, Theodore. You see, Tamaki had originally planned for Haruhi to just be Dorothy. He'd already gotten the outfit together, with a plaid blue dress, ruby heels, and a pair of snap-on pigtails to wear. He was absolutely devastated when we reminded him that dressing Haruhi up as Dorothy would reveal she was a girl for sure. And so, Haruhi was now dressed as "Theodore Gale." She wore a sky blue, plaid flannel shirt underneath a pair of worn-out overalls. The ruby heels had been replaced with ruby-studded sneakers, and she carried a small basket in her right hand. A blue bandana is around her neck, and a stick of straw is stick between her lips, making speech difficult. I can see Tamaki giving her looks of disappointment from across the room.

Haruhi had been the first, and besides Kyoya, the only one to notice my odd behavior. I don't really think she noticed at first. She gave me unsure looks, but shrugged it off almost immediately afterwards. But I guess she noticed the details eventually: me becoming lost in thought, becoming less talkative, becoming awkward when I usually wouldn't.

Now I know I have to snap out of it. I need to get my act together. I don't think I've been rude, but by being less talkative, I've become less polite, and my customers were beginning to notice. I had to keep up my reputation. Either me, or Kyoya, that is.

I give her a kind, apologetic smile. "Yes, I'm fine. I appreciate your asking." I'm dressed up as the Cowardly Lion. The jacket I wear has fluffy brown fur around the hem and cuffs, as well as the chest. The fur on my chest connects with the fur on my hood, which I have pulled up so that the fashioned ears show on my head. The matching pants I wear have more fur at the cuffs, and a brown belt is hidden under my jacket hem. The belt has a tail attached to the back, reaching the back of my knees before ending in a tuft of brown fur. My shoes are designed like paws, and the gloves on my hands are designed in a similar fashion, but they allow me to move my hands freely. The twins had helped me apply makeup on. Now, my nose is covered in pink, with thin whiskers on my cheeks. They'd also added some metallic gold shadow to my cheekbones and eyelids for good effect.

Before Haruhi can question me further, her customers begin to shower her in compliments of her costume. Smiling kindly, she returns to them, but not after giving me one last glance over her shoulder.

* * *

**NO ONE'S P.O.V.**

"Kosu-chan's been acting weird, Takashi," Honey comments, his golden-brown eyes filled with concern as they watch said teen holding the door open for the customers. The club has ended for the day, and so the customers are leaving to go home. Honey's dressed up as Toto, and all day he had heard how adorable he was. The costume consists of a full body-suit, made out of bistre-colored polyester. A fur-covered hood is pulled over the teen's head, showing pointed ears on top. The fur extends all the way down his back, and also cover his hands and feet so that they look as paw-like as possible. A tail is attached to the back, about half a foot long. Honey's nose is covered in black paint, with whiskers across his cheeks.

"He'll be fine, Mitsukuni," Mori assures his shoulder-riding cousin. Mori is dressed as the Tin Man, and he manages to pull off the look perfectly. His torso is covered in a silver, foam-lined polyester chest, with a shiny bow tie at the collar. Underneath, he wears a silver polyester jumpsuit that covers him from head to toe, as well as a pair of gray dress shoes. His hands are covered in silver gloves, and he carries a Styrofoam ax in his right hand. The only thing that isn't a shade of gray or silver is his jet black hair, which pokes out from underneath the tin-funnel hat he wears on his head. His entire face is covered in silver paint, making his deep gray eyes pop out.

"It's probably just puberty," the twins joke, smirking. They're, appropriately, dressed as a pair of Flying Monkeys. Their costumes are identical. Two gray polyester jumpsuits with attached shoe covers, a pull-over hood, red-white-and-blue designed jackets, two pairs of feathery black wings, and two fez hats. Their faces were framed with gray paint, giving the appearance of fur.

"Whatever it is, he'd better pull it together," says Kyoya, his eyes never leaving his black notebook as his pen flies across the paper inside. He's dressed as the scarecrow, which somewhat fits to the 'scaring off' reputation he holds. He wears a Yale-blue polyester shirt, with tufts of fake hay poking out of the seams. The brown elastic pants he wears is covered in multicolored patches, which have more hay poking out. He wears the same black dress shoes he always wears, and he has a pointed black fabric hat on his head. Small sticks of hay jut out from the hat's hem, mixing with his jet black hair. His entire face is painted carrot orange, with his nose colored tangelo and his eyebrows thick with black. "His customers are starting to notice, and his profits may go down."

The twins give their manager deadpan looks. "That's all you care about, isn't it?"

"And that surprises you?"

"Guys, hush!" Haruhi tells the five of them, waving her arms for their attention. "Kosuke might overhear you guys talking!"

"Excuse me?"

The Hosts yelp, jumping back five feet. Kosuke had just bid farewell to the rest of the customers, and she is now standing in front of them all, a quizzical look on her face. "What were you talking about? If I may ask..."

The Hosts all freeze, not knowing what to say. They all (minus Kyoya and Mori) stutter for a moment, then speak in unison. "Tamaki?"

"Oh," is all Kosuke says, dismissing the matter. Then, her eyebrows furrow in thought. "Where is Tamaki?"

"AAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!"

The high-pitched shriek answers her question. The Hosts all jump again, then take off for the source. The shriek had emitted from the old storage room, where musical instruments and equipment had once been stored in. Now, nothing was inside but a wooden cabinet.

Tamaki is on his knees, in front of the cabinet. His eyes are filled with absolute horror, leaking out tears as they stare into one of the compartments. Tamaki, of course, is dressed as the Wizard. The emerald green tailcoat he wears is studded with sequins, complementing the satin, Dartmouth-green vest underneath and matching the top hat on his head. A snowy white shirt is underneath the vest, with a phthalo-green bow tie around the collar. The pair of black pinstripe pants have a forest green wrap at the top, serving as a belt. A pair of black dress shoes is on his feet, matching the walking stick that is now lying next to him on the floor.

"Senpai, what's wrong?" Haruhi asks in a panic, searching Tamaki's form for any injuries.

"Are you hurt?" Honey asks as he looks at the blonde teen over his cousin's head.

"Was there a mouse?" the twins tease, teasing smirks already taking up their faces.

"Ku...Ku...Ku..." is all Tamaki sputters.

The Hosts approach their terrified president, crouching down or looking over his shoulder to see what the problem is.

Kyoya raises a confused eyebrow. "There's nothing in there."

"I KNOW NOTHING IS IN THERE!" Tamaki suddenly explodes, jumping to his feet and flailing his arms as his face goes completely red. The others jump back in shock and fear, with Honey looking like he's about to cry. But Tamaki's angry tantrum stops as fast as it has begun. He slumps back down to his knees, moving his hand inside the compartment as if to make sure his fears weren't real. "Kuma-chan isn't in here..."

Kosuke's eyebrows furrow as she turns to her fellow club members, her voice filled with confusion. "Who's Kuma-chan?"

"Tamaki's teddy bear," the twins reply.

"WHO IS NOT HERE ANYMORE!" Tamaki screeches, going into another temper tantrum to prove a point.

"Are you certain you didn't leave Kuma-chan somewhere else?" Kosuke offers, holding up her hands to try and calm the president down.

"No! I always leave Kuma-chan right here!" Tamaki jabs a finger at the empty compartment. The reality of the situation seems to sink into him, because he slowly falls to his knees, his face contorted in genuine sadness.

Tamaki's lip begins to tremble.

Kyoya sighs, holding out a halting hand. "Tamaki, please don't."

Tamaki's eyes go glassy.

Honey's lip trembles, too, not able to bear seeing his leader so broken. "Tama-chan, it'll be OK!"

Tamaki's shoulders begin to tremble.

The twins dive behind Haruhi and Kosuke, arms over their heads. "BRACE YOURSELVES!"

And Tamaki explodes.

Tears pour down his face in waterfalls. His body quakes uncontrollably, going limp in-between. His face is flushed red, especially around his nose and ears. The sobs that burst from his mouth are like banshee shrieks, echoing off the walls and making the windows tremble. What's worse is that Honey has also started to bawl, holding Mori so tight the poor teen almost chokes as his sobs clash with Tamaki's, creating a horrifying orchestra that echoes across the entire campus.

Her hands clamped tight over her ears, Kosuke has to yell to make her voice heard. "WHY IS HE SO UPSET ABOUT THIS?"

"HIS MOTHER GAVE HIM KUMA-CHAN!" Koaru yells in reply, which only makes Tamaki bawl louder. Thus, Honey bawls louder as well.

"IT'S THE ONLY THING HE HAS LEFT OF HER!" Hikaru screams, his eyes shut tight in pain.

Haruhi tries to calm the delirious blonde down, which proves difficult because Tamaki isn't looking at her and he probably can't even hear her over his screeches of sorrow. "SENPAI, PLEASE CALM DOWN! YOU'RE FREAKING OUT HONEY-SENPAI!"

Tamaki's sobs become more distressed, the tears creating puddles on the floor. Honey mimics this, choking Mori tighter.

"SENPAI, WE'LL FIND KUMA-CHAN, I PROMISE!" screams Haruhi.

_**"KUMA-CHAAAAAAN!" **_Tamaki shrieks. His knees can't support him anymore. He falls to the floor, flat on his stomach.

_**"TAMA-CHAAAAAAN!" **_Honey shrieks back. The poor childish graduate is crying so hard he almost can't breathe.

"SENPAI!" Haruhi shouts. She's desperate now. The booming shrieks are actually making her inside hurt. "IF YOU STOP CRYING, I'LL...I'LL...I'LL PUT ON THAT COSTUME YOU GOT ME!"

The effect is almost immediate. Tamaki stops screeching and bawling, but he's still sniffling and tears continue to leak from his eyes. His face is still red from his episode. Honey calms down as Tamaki does, his breathes coming out in ragged whimpers. The two Hosts almost look as identical as the twins.

Tamaki looks up at the brunette, using a fist to wipe the corners of his eyes. "Can I take a picture?"

Haruhi sighs, her shoulders slumping in both relief and exasperation. "Yes, you can take a picture."

"YAY!" The red in Tamaki's face vanishes as an ear-to-ear smile takes up his features. He pulls Haruhi in for a hug so tight you can hear the poor girl's joints snap.

Honey immediately brightens. He smiles adorably, his arms leaving Mori's neck to hug Usa-chan instead. The black-haired teen takes a deep breath of air. "Yaaaaaay! Tama-chan's all better now! Isn't that great, Takashi?"

"Yeah," Mori manages to sputter, rubbing his pained neck.

As Tamaki hauls Haruhi to the dressing room, Kosuke turns to Kyoya, rubbing her irritated ears. "Will Tamaki be fine?"

"He says he left Kuma-chan here, but he probably just left it back in his room," Kyoya replies, straightening his glasses, which had become off-balance in the tantrum orchestra. "If not, we'll look for it tomorrow. For now, I suggest all of you go home and get some rest."

* * *

**Sorry if this episode took a while to update. It took me a while to come up with an episode plot, and when I actually DID come up with one, I had made a HUUUUGE plothole in it, so I had to completely start over. **

**Anyway, once again, if I messed something up, or you have any episode suggestions, feel free to PM me or just write them in a reveiw.**

**~LunarisAmor**


	14. Bandit of the Bunch Part 2

**Fun fact #2: Kosuke's name was originally going to be "Reiko Shizuka." I had to change this because I found out that there was an OHSHC manga character named Reiko.**

* * *

**KOSUKE'S P.O.V.**

Kuma-chan wasn't in Tamaki's room.

As a result, Tamaki asked not to host customers today, saying he needs 'time to mourn.' In a way, this did well with the customers, because now they're fawning over him non-stop, much in the way they do Honey, but without actually talking to him. As for Tamaki, he's now sitting in the far corner, so gloomy that there's a ten-foot span of shadowy darkness around him. There might as well have been a thundercloud over his head.

"Is Tamaki-senpai OK?" Chiyo asks in genuine worry, setting her teacup down with a clink of the snowy-white china.

"He's been in that corner ever since we came in," Misora adds. Her forest-green gaze turns sad when it turns to the sulking blonde president.

"Tamaki will recover from his loss soon," I assure them with a small smile. While I mentally add, _When and if we find his teddy bear, _Chiyo and Misora smile back in relief.

I probably said it like someone dear to him had died, when in reality, a stuffed animal had just been misplaced. But I suppose, to Tamaki, it _is _like someone dear to him had died. Or, at least, a memento of his mother had died.

Kyoya had told me Tamaki's story not too long ago. Tamaki's father, Yuzuru's mother (Tamaki's grandmother, Shizue) had arranged for her son to marry a woman of her choosing. However, he fell in true love with a beautiful woman named Anne-Sophie, whom he met in France. And thus, some time later, Tamaki was born. As a result, Yuzuru told Shizue that he would leave the woman she chose and marry Anne-Sophie instead. Shizue was firmly against it, of course. So firmly she despised her son, her grandson, and her daughter-in-law. Anne-Sophie grew frailly sick, and political obstacles kept her from living in Japan. So Tamaki lived a happy childhood in France until he was 14 years old. But Anne-Sophie's family business went bankrupt somehow, and they were struck with a great debt to pay. Shizue, who was worried that there would be no Suoh heir, made a proposal: if Tamaki were sent to Japan, without his mother, Shizue would give Anne-Sophie enough money to live comfortably. And they would never be allowed to see each other.

Ever.

Tamaki knew his mother's poor health would only grow worse without Shizue's help. So, he went with his foul grandmother to Japan, leaving Anne-Sophie behind.

Anne-Sophie disappeared a short time later.

Tamaki hasn't seen or heard of her since.

So I understand why Kuma-chan is so dearly precious to him. Until he finds out where Anne-Sophie is, the teddy bear is all he has left of her.

I understand perfectly...

The club ends a little while later. As per usual, I hold open the door for the customers, bidding them farewell and accepting a hug or two. I close the door behind them and approach the others, who are standing a few feet outside of Tamaki's depression cloud.

"Alright, we gotta find Kuma-chan," Haruhi tells us, slapping a fist into her open palm. We all nod in agreement.

Tamaki sighs at the teddy bear's name, his cloud of darkness growing. Haruhi sighs, holding out an open-palmed hand. Kyoya gives her Tamaki's phone, and after a few moments of clicking buttons, she walks right to Tamaki. I can see the picture of her dressed as Dorothy Gale on the screen, winking at the camera with a happy smile on her face. She holds the phone out to Tamaki, and he hesitantly takes it. Looking at the picture, his gloomy frown turns into a lovestruck smile. The darkness disappears, and I swear you can practically see the sparkles in the air.

"That'll calm him down for now," Haruhi tells us with another sigh.

"I believe we should split up," I suggest. "It may save us time." The others nod in agreement, and we all walk away to begin the search for Kuma-chan.

* * *

After a full hour of plowing through empty cabinets, crawling under tables, and tearing couches apart cushion-by-cushion...

...the search was unsuccessful.

When we broke the news to Tamaki, he almost went full-out depressed once more. He managed to find some refuge in Haruhi's picture, and now he's holding onto it like it's his lifeline. It probably is, now considering.

"Well that was a lot of wasted effort," the twins sigh, beads of exasperated sweat rolling down their faces.

"Maybe Tamaki left Kuma-chan in his limo?" offers Haruhi. "Or maybe he left it's somewhere _else _in his home?"

"Maybe," Kyoya replies, though he seems unsure himself. His glasses glint with an idea, and he turns around. "Honey-senpai, if you lost Usa-chan, where would you..."

Kyoya trails off. Mori is standing by himself, no Honey in sight.

"...put him?"

Something seems to catch Haruhi's eye because she does a ninety-degree turn to her right. Following her gaze, I see Honey standing in front of a lone wooden chair, his back to us. His shoulders are hunched forward and I think I can see his fists trembling.

Immediately, a feeling of fear binds us all together. Literally. Even Tamaki snaps out of his depression state to sandwich himself between the twins and I. With all of us huddled together like penguins, Haruhi cautiously asks, "Senpai?"

Honey slowly turns around to face us, and we instantly squeeze closer. His head is bowed, making his long bangs curtain his eyes from view. His fists are indeed trembling, as well as his shoulders. When he speaks, his voice is so dark and dangerous it's like he's a completely different person.

_"Where's Usa-chan?"_

...Oh cripes...

We're all packed together so tight now it's very uncomfortable. As Tamaki shrinks down to hide behind me, the twins scrape up enough courage to say, "W-we thought he was with you."

Honey stops trembling. Doing a sidestep to the right, his arm swipes through the air to point a pin-straight finger at the chair's cushion. It's completely, utterly empty.

_"I left him right here."_

I can hear Haruhi gulp two Hitachiins away. "A-are you sure you didn't misplace him while we were looking?"

Honey doesn't like her question, and it's obvious. His arms go stiff at his sides, and his head lifts up just enough to show his eyes, almost black with fury and rage.

_"I _never _misplace Usa-chan."_

Now it's official: we have gone from inside the sizzling frying pan, into the blazing fire in a day. I've heard the many stories of Mitsukuni Haninozuka's caged fury before: How he'd once bitten Tamaki's hand whilst on a three-day lack of sweets, how he'd fended off an entire squad of guards during the Ouran fair, and how he (I doubt this) blew up an entire U.S. military instillation. If Honey was this scary just because his stuffed animal was gone...

Mori saves the day, in the end. He steps out of our huddle, stepping towards Honey until he's a few feet in front of him. Then, absolutely calmly, he says, "We'll find him, Mitsukuni."

Honey's emotions immediately go from furious to heartbroken. His trembling fist and shoulders go limp, slumping forward in defeat. As Mori bends down to lift Honey up onto his shoulders, I can see tears shining in the childish graduate's golden-brown eyes. "OK, Takashi..."

"Alright, let's do another search," Kyoya tells us. We all murmur our agreements, splitting up to search again.

* * *

After _another _hour of plowing through empty cabinets, crawling under tables, and tearing couches apart cushion-by-cushion...

...our search was _still _unsuccessful.

Spectacular. Now we have _two _depressed teenagers in the room, not to mention one of them is a world-champion martial artist who may or may not demolish the entire campus at any second. And/or the entire country.

"It's getting late," says Haruhi. Tearing her brown-eyed gaze from the clock-tower, which can be seen through the crystal-clear window, she gives us all an apologetic look. "I gotta get back home. Dad'll be coming back from work any second and I haven't started making dinner yet."

Kyoya nods, adjusting his glasses. "I must return home as well. I have a lot of work I have to catch up on. We should call it a day."

Beside me, Tamaki deflates to the floor, his phone's battery completely drained. As I give him a comforting pat on the shoulder, I can see Honey from the corner of my eye, burying his face into Mori's raven hair. "We'll find Usa-chan, Mitsukuni," the older cousin assures him, though Honey refuses to come out of Mori's hair.

"I'll see you guys tomorrow," bids Haruhi. She picks up her brown leather book bag, she gives us one last wave before leaving the room. Kyoya gives us a small nod before following the brunette out the door.

"Let's go, Mitsukuni," Mori says over his shoulder. Honey says something like "OK, Takashi" but because his voice is muffled, it sounds more like "Ofay, Tafafi."

Whilst Mori carries Mitsukuni away, the twins turn to me. "We're gonna go home, too."

I give them a nod of understanding. "Goodbye. I'll see you both tomorrow."

They give me a nod back before walking away, their movements perfect mirror images.

I listen to the five sets of footsteps become quieter and quieter until they become nonexistent. Then, I look down at Tamaki. The poor blonde is on his knees once more, his gaze cast down to the floor. I bend down to become level with him, putting a comforting hand between his shoulders. Seeing him like this is killing me. The always happy-go-lucky president now absolutely broken. "Will you be fine?"

"...Yeah," Tamaki murmurs, shifting his legs to stand up. I use my other hand to hold his arm, lifting him up to his feet. He brushes off his blazer, adding, "I'll be fine."

There's a heavy silence between us. Tamaki continues to stare at the floor, as unmoving as a statue. Clearing my throat, I tell him, "I'm going to return home as well. Mother's probably worried about me by now."

I can see Tamaki's head tip in a nod. I give him one last pat on the shoulder before turning on my heel, grabbing my bookbag off of a nearby chair, and heading for the door.

"Kosuke?"

I stop and turn around. Tamaki has turned in my direction, his head lifted up enough for me to see his violet eyes, filled with the same sadness I've seen in the past day. "Could you walk with me? I don't really feel like being alone right now."

The word 'alone' breaks me instantly. I open the door for the both of us, telling him, "Of course."

* * *

Tamaki doesn't say anything for the first few minutes of our small trek to the front of the school. We walk down two hallways without a single word exchanged, the only sounds being our footsteps clicking down on the wisteria tiles. The setting sun sent golden sunlight blasting through the crystalline windows, casting our faces in a bright glow and making our shadows black.

I decide to talk as we turn another corner. "Do you want to talk about it?"

Tamaki doesn't reply immediately. When he does, it's barely a murmur. "Talk about what? Kuma-chan? My mother?"

"If that's what you wish to talk about."

A sigh huffs through his nostrils. "...I miss her. A lot."

I give him a sad smile. "I know you do."

"I don't understand. Why did she just disappear? She knew I was OK, and she knew I wasn't mad at her. I went to Japan at my own will!"

"Sometimes, people do things when they're ashamed of themselves. I know your mother knew it wasn't her fault. But it's only human."

Tamaki doesn't say anything to that. As we walk outside, into the crisp evening air and the unblocked sunlight, I can see Tamaki's deluxe limousine waiting for him just up ahead. I let out a sigh of my own.

"Your mother hasn't abandoned you. Parents...don't do that..." I stop walking as I come to a stop in front of the limousine, its sleek black paint letting off a golden sheen, almost blinding my eyes. "Your mother loves you. She's just waiting for all of your family problems to be taken care of. So you two can be together again."

Tamaki stays silent for a long time. His hair looks unnaturally blonde in the rich sunshine, almost white. When his eyes open, their usual violet hue has turned almost electric.

Then he smiles. His usual, charming smile that gave birth to his kingly reputation. And it's directed right at me. As he climbs into his limousine, he genuinely tells me, "Thanks, Kosuke. You're a really great friend."

...Cripes almighty.

* * *

**I apologize if this chapter is short for you guys. The next chapter will be extra-long, I swear! You won't be disappointed!**

**I hope you guys liked the Kosuke-Tamaki moment. I tried to make it as believable as possible. I just tried to think of how Tamaki would react about his mother, y'know?**

**Anyways, EPISODE SUGGESTIONS NEEDED. NO IDEA IS A BAD IDEA.**

**~LunarisAmor**


	15. Bandit of the Bunch Part 3

**Fun Fact #3: Kosuke was originally going to be an only child, belonging to a foster family. But I figured that she would come out as too much of a lonely character, so Minami, Rituko, and Honami were born, and her mother, Kayoko, became her real mother, not her adopted mother.**

* * *

**KOSUKE'S P.O.V.**

When I step into the Host Club room today (a tad bit later than the others, as per usual), it's absolute chaos.

Tamaki looks as if he's recovered a bit, but he still looks gloomy, with his legs buckled, his arms limp and his head hung low. Honey _still _has his face buried in Mori's hair, whimpering as silent tears drip down his cheeks, soaking the older cousin's black locks. But that's not all. Kyoya looks darker than usual, which is saying something. His arms are crossed and his glasses are giving off a scary white glint, with his black eyebrows narrowed. Haruhi doesn't look as bad as the others, but she does look rather annoyed. The twins are the only ones who seem perfectly normal, minus the fact that they're not teasing anybody. The customers are watching all seven of them uneasily, whispering to each other in hushed voices.

With an anxious sensation crawling up my spine, I cautiously ask, "What's the matter?"

The twins are the first to answer in perfectly matched monotonous voices. "We lost Kyoya's notebook and Haruhi's pencil."

My eyebrows furrow confusedly. "I apologize...his _pencil?_"

Haruhi huffs. Apparently, she'd explained this a million times. "It's a good pencil and it's easy to write with! And the Club already sold my last one!"

Tamaki snaps out of his desolation for a moment. He rounds on Haruhi, pulling a blue mechanical pencil out of nowhere. The eraser is covered in a teddy-bear bobble head. "I'm begging you! JUST TAKE MINE!"

"I don't want your pencil, senpai," Haruhi sighs as she pushes Tamaki and his pencil out of the picture. Then, she turns in the direction of our raven-haired manager. "What I want to know is how Kyoya managed to lose his notebook. You never let it out of your sight."

Kyoya gives her a glasses-look that clearly says _You think I don't know that? _Haruhi immediately shrinks back, holding her hands up as if to fend off a wild animal.

"What are we going to do?" I ask them all.

* * *

Five minutes later, we're in the middle of the Host Club Scavenger Hunt.

I watch as the customers dash to and fro, pulling open cabinet doors and searching through couch cushions just as we had done a thousand times. Most of the customers had gone to search in other areas of the campus, lists clutched in their grasps.

I take out a copy of the list, reading over the Vivaldi-font writing printed on crisp, floral-designed paper.

_3. Kyoya's notebook..._

_8. Haruhi's mechanical pencil _(with a picture next to it)_..._

_14. Kuma-chan (Tamaki's teddy bear)..._

_18. Usa-chan..._

We had a few things thrown in-between, to add a bit of length to the search. Written at the bottom is a little notice:

_Searching areas go from second-and-third year classrooms, the cafeteria, the foyer, the halls, and the courtyards. All other areas have no items._

So, here we are. One crying loli-shota, his caregiver cousin, a depressive president, a horrendous manager, an annoyed brunette, and a pair of twins and an awkward cross-dresser thrown into the middle.

"Are you sure this is a good idea?" Haruhi asks Kyoya cautiously. "What if one of the customers keeps one of our things as a souvenir?"

"I agree that some of our customers are a bit overenthusiastic, but I doubt any of them would steal from us," Kyoya replies with a light snap.

"What about Renge?" the twins offer with harmonic shrugs. "How do we know she didn't steal your things?"

"Because she's looking for them now," Mori replies, nodding his Honey-heavy head to the left. We follow his gesture, and sure enough, Renge is going mad as a hatter looking for the items. She's running so fast flames cover her footprints, and she's almost tearing the place to pieces.

A cluster of footsteps brings our attention to the entrance door. Every single one of our customers is standing in the doorway, all with crestfallen expressions written on their features. A handful of them are carrying items on the list, looking both crestfallen and satisfied. The only customer still searching is Renge, and she's currently swinging from chandelier to chandelier.

"None of us could find the other items," Momoka says in a sigh, her shoulders slumped forward. Her usually perfectly-kept, silky aurburn hair is a wild mess attached to her head.

"We searched the campus three times over!" Chiyo adds with a huff of annoyance.

As Honey whimpers louder and Tamaki lets out a long, loud sigh, Kyoya steps forward. Though I can tell he's trying to maintain his 'cool' nature, I can see the sparks of annoyance inside him, his glasses blazing white. "We apologize, we didn't have enough time to place all of the items. I must have forgotten to inform all of our lovely guests."

He says it with enough charm and grace to make all of the girls swoon. With flushed faces and glazed eyes, their knees buckle and a few fall to their knees.

"It's alright, Kyoya-senpai," a girl with curly, dark golden brown hair and sepia eyes sighs dreamily. I recognize her as one of Kyoya's fangirls.

"Yeah, no hard feelings," another girl with feathery medium blonde hair and baby blue eyes says in the exact same tone. Another Kyoya girl.

"If you would all like, we will commence in bestowing the prizes," Kyoya continues with a smile. The girls beam and nod eccentrically, and Kyoya turns to me. "Kosuke, I think I gave the list to you."

"Oh, yes, you did," I reply, digging my hand into my pants pocket and grasping the small, crisp slip of paper between my fing-

Wait.

Taking out the paper slip, I use my free hand to dig back into my pocket, my fingers crawling like spider legs in the fabricated space.

Empty.

I quickly switch the paper into my other hand, almost dropping it in my frantic search through my other pocket.

Empty.

_No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, holy cripes, please, PLEASE, NO!_

"Kosuke?" Haruhi asks worriedly. Her brown eyebrows furrowed, she takes a step towards me. "What's wrong?"

It takes me a moment to find my voice, and when I do, it comes out in a sputtering burst. "M-my locket!" I dash to the nearby table, almost crashing into it. Haruhi takes a step forward to calm me down, but I don't comply. I rip open my book-bag, pushing and pulling out every item inside even though I know it isn't there. _Of course it isn't there. It's not, __**It's not**__, __**IT'S NOT! **_"I-I can't find my locket!"

**NO ONE'S P.O.V.**

"Alright, alright, calm down," Haruhi moves her hands up and down in an attempt to calm the panicked teenager, her chocolate brown eyes filled with worry and confusion. It was her first time ever hearing of a locket, let alone _Kosuke's _locket. Same goes for the other Hosts. "Where did you last put it?"

"I didn't. I always keep it inside of my pocket," Kosuke replies in a rush, which only makes Haruhi move her hands more. The blonde-wigged teen complies with a deep breath, letting it come out in a woosh.

"What does it look like?" the twins appear behind Haruhi instantaneously. "We'll look for it."

"I-It's small, round, a-and silver. There's a watch inside," Kosuke tells them as calmly as she possibly can. They nod in response whilst taking mental notes.

"Is it valuable?" the twins ask with their ginger heads tilting to the side in perfect unison.

Kosuke gives a shaky nod of her head, out of both slight uncertainty and pure panic. "Yes, I suppose. It's made of silver-"

"No, that's not what we meant," Kaoru raises a hand as a sign for her to stop. Kosuke immediately silences.

"We meant if it's special to you," Hikaru explains patiently.

The ginger-haired, amber-eyed twins watch the hesitant teenager before them, waiting for an answer to come from her currently chewing lips. As said teen twists her pale fingers nervously, she murmurs a soft answer. "Yes, it's very special to me. Because the person who I received it from is very special to me."

The crowd of customers in the entrance way gasp and sigh in awed sorrow, some wiping glistening tears from their eyes. Kosuke Nakahara's special someone had given him that locket, and now it's missing.

A few feet away, Tamaki's head snaps up in shock.

There's a loud creak of metallic sound, and Renge Houshakuji gracefully descends to the tiled floor. She's carrying the most items of any of the customers, dropping one or two onto the floor in her flamboyant entrance. Struggling to hold the windscreen of her signature microphone to her mouth (with her arms full and her body trembling with sobbing tremors), she manages to squeak out, "THIS IS SO TRAGICALLY SWEET! I COULD JUST EAT THREE BOWLS OF-" Renge explodes into hysterical shrieks, falling to her knees and letting all of her collected items spill from her arms. "NO! NO, I COULDN'T!" Shaking pathetically, the ginger co-manager whimpers, _"Would someone please just get me something covered in chocolate?"_

Slow, heavy footsteps control all sound inside the room. His fists clenched white and his jaw set in determination, Tamaki Suoh's voice calls out to Hosts and customers alike. "We have to find Kosuke's locket! WE ALL HAVE TO LOOK!"

The customers nod their heads ferociously, pumping fists and letting out a few cries of valor, letting out exclamations of reassurance directed at the polite Host.

Kosuke stares at all of them in absolute shock for a long moment. Then, with a relieved smile, a sigh escapes her nostrils, her ruby-contacted eyes glistening. "I appreciate it. Very much."

The tiles underneath Renge's fallen body shift. Out of absolute nowhere, a red, velvet curtain conceals the Ouran High School Host Club's co-manager. Within only a few seconds, the curtain falls and Renge is dressed in a top-of-the-class detective costume, with two sections of her hair in ties. A plaid, ecru-colored, vicose cape drapes over her shoulder. A black strap is tied at her neck, knotted into a bow. The dress (the same color and pattern as the cape), which has a felt brown front, four golden buttons, and a white suede collar, goes down to the bottom of her thighs. She wears a hat on her head, in an ecru plaid design with ear flaps. In her left hand, she carries an empty smoking pipe, and in her right hand, she carries a perfectly-polished magnifying glass. "Alright, ladies! Let's split up and look for that locket!"

The customers nod in perfect unison before their crowd splits into perfectly-even groups, stampeding down the halls, their footsteps making the entire building quake.

Kosuke just stares at her feet the entire time.

* * *

**KOSUKE'S P.O.V.**

Kyoya told me to sit down while he, the others and the customers searched for the locket, saying that I looked pale. This scared me-I mean, I'm already exceedingly pale, so I probably looked a bit gray by then-so I did as he said. After sending the twins to watch me, Kyoya and the others went to work.

For two hours, I sit at one of the tables, my arms crossed and my head resting on them. Though my eyes felt glossy and my throat was hot and tight, no tears fell from my eyes. I did, however, go to the bathroom once to fix my contacts. The twins didn't say or ask anything, which I appreciated, because I wasn't in the mood to talk.

No one found my locket.

When the realization came that the search was futile, the Hosts gave out the awards to every customer, even those that didn't have a single items. They all left with hulking gift baskets, bundles of fresh roses, and heart-shaped boxes of chocolates in their grasp whilst sharing sorrowed whispers to one another.

When Renge finally leaves (she was having a particularly hard time carrying her gargantuan gift basket by herself), Kyoya closes the door behind her. I hear four pairs of feet shuffle together, and I reckon that the others have huddled around our table. I can't tell, I still have my head buried into my arms.

"We don't think these are coincidences anymore," I hear the twins say monotonously. The others hum in agreement.

"We've searched this place a million times over," Haruhi says in a low, steady tone.

"And our homes," Tamaki adds with a depressive sigh.

"Someone's been stealing our possessions," Mori states what everyone is thinking in his deep, bass voice.

But the question remains: Who stole our possessions? And how do we find them?

The sound of soft clicking makes me lift up my head. Kyoya is seated at his own little table, his PineappleTop set on top of the polished oak. He's swiping at the keys in fluid motions, and on the screen, I can see white-printed codes flashing against a black background.

"What are you doing, Kyoya?" Tamaki asks in half-hearted curiosity.

"I just remembered I had planted a tracking chip in my notebook, in case I ever lost it," Kyoya replies curtly. A chirp emits from his PinneappleTop, and I can just make out the words _ACCESS GRANTED _flashing on the screen.

"Wait, you mean you actually _forgot _something?" Kaoru asks in sincere shock, his golden-amber eyes wide.

"You're really out of it, you know?" Hikaru says with an equal amount of surprise. Kyoya turns his head just enough to make his glasses glint in a _You're dancing on thin ice _way. The twins hold up their hands defensively, shocked expressions suddenly turning terrified.

"That doesn't matter," Haruhi steps in with perfect timing. Where would we be without her? Probably drowning in our own tears. "Where's our stuff at?"

Somehow, Kyoya manages to make some sort of electrical cord appear out of mid-air. With one end attached to his phone, the other to the PineappleTop, the computer makes a little tune before _LOAD COMPLETE _finally appears. He immediately snatches up his phone. "I have the address."

"MOVE OUT, GENTLEMEN!" Tamaki musters up enough spunk to put one hand on his hip, the other pointing to the entrance. However, instead of traipsing out of the room, he slugs out into the hall. Haruhi, Kyoya, and Honey-on-Mori's shoulders follow him out. The twins quickly wrap their arms under mine, hauling me out with them.

* * *

Needless to say, the ride to our destination is more than a little awkward.

I've never been inside a limousine before. Never really seen the point of them, just stretched cars that cause road blocks whenever they make a turn. Though I will admit, it _is_ fairly luxurious. With soft leather seats, tinted windows, all-around stereo systems, one small television screen, and a built-in telephone, this is surely the life of a modern-day prince.

The size could be better, though. You see, in Tamaki's haste to get Kuma-chan back, he had accidentally called his own, private limousine to the campus. That meant that, because it was just for him, it's not all that big for eight teenagers.

We're all squished shoulder-to-shoulder, knee-to-knee. Tamaki to Haruhi, Haruhi to Kyoya, Kyoya to Mori, Mori to Honey, Honey to the twins, the twins to me, and me to Tamaki. Basically, we just do a full wrap-around. What's even more awkward, though, is the fact that no one is speaking. The only sounds inside the packed limousine are Honey's whimpers, Tamaki's constant sighs of depression, and the clicking of Kyoya hitting the keys on his phone.

Finally, the limousine pulls up to our destination and we all fall out onto the brick road. As the limousine drives away, I look up at our stop.

I'm both surprised and unsurprised. I didn't know exactly what to expect, probably just a cozy rural home or a common apartment building. Then, when I had considered that the bandit had been a potential Ouran student, I also told myself to expect a spectacular mansion of some sort. The result had been the ladder.

The mansion that towers over us is three stories high, casting us in cool shadow. The pure white paint seems to glimmer, accenting the marble pillars that support the overlapping shingle roofs. Crystalline windows are blocked from the inside by carmine satin drapes. Balconies lead outdoors from the upper levels, snowy vicuna chairs seated behind pristine railings. The perfectly-polished road beneath us, looking as if no car has ever driven on it before, leads to the mansion, doing a C-shape before going back into the road. A spouting fountain gurgles out diamond water that glimmers in the sunlight. Beautiful bushes of butter-cream daffodils, Shasta daisies, and tuberose take my breath away.

"Are you sure this is the place?" the twins ask Kyoya as they help pick each other up from the ground. "We've never seen this place before."

Judging by the others' faces, no one has seen this place before. Including me. "I haven't either, which must mean that this is a thief."

We all follow him to the front door of the mansion, preparing ourselves for whatever may attack us. Not like that, I doubt this thief is dangerous, but what if they have guard-dogs or something?

Kyoya casually presses the doorbell, as if he were visiting a friend rather than a bandit. Instead of someone coming to the door, however, a small black box buzzes next to the door. Then, a voice asks, _"Matsuda household, how may we be of assistance?"_

The intercom-like box must have something to disguise the speaker's voice, because whoever is speaking sounds like nothing but a monotonous computer.

Though the rest of us remain perturbed, Kyoya simply smirks (a very, very creepy smirk) and presses the small red button on the box. "This is Kyoya Ootori and the Ouran Host Club. We're here to-"

The door opens just as he says the word 'Club.'

Kyoya seems slightly taken aback, but simply smiles and replies, "Thank you" before walking right into the mansion. We follow behind hesitantly.

We enter the large mansion foyer, and I have to admit, these people _do_ have a nice taste in decoration. A crystal chandelier showers us in shimmering light from above. The floor, made from large ceramic tiles, is covered in a mint carpet designed flawlessly in green vines with spring green blossoms. The walls are honeydew, with impressively designed skirting. To the right wall, next to another doorway, is a mahogany telephone table polished to perfection, with a small India green telephone and an Pakistan green vase with a single Zinnia 'Green Envy' flower blossom. Another entrance is to the left wall. The foyer leads down a darkened hallway, with a staircase planted directly next to it. Not as extravagant as expected from an Ouran student, but certainly impressive.

"Excuse me?" I call out, my voice echoing around us.

No answer comes to me.

"I don't believe there's anyone here," I say, peeking my head around the corner to look into what I could only guess is a living room. All of the furniture inside is some shade of red.

"Then who was just talking to us?" Haruhi questions, looking up the staircase as if she expected to see someone walk down it and greet us.

So someone _is _in this mansion, quite possibly our potential bandit. And I don't think she/he intends on greeting us.

Kyoya takes this in with absolute understanding. He turns to the seven of us, saying, "This mansion has three stories, and there are eight of us, which means there needs to be two groups of three and one group of two. I'll go with Mori and Honey."

"I'll go with Haruhi," Tamaki immediately proclaims. He tries to do it with his usual flamboyant facade, but he only says it with minimal effort. Haruhi sees this as well, because she doesn't sigh or groan or make any annoyed sounds she usually would. Instead, she just nods in agreement."

"Me, too," Hikaru adds with a small raise of his hand.

This definitely stupefies me. Hikarua and Kaoru are two iron chains linked together, two oak trees entwined, two atoms in the same matter. Unbreakable, inseparable. And here the older twin brother is now, willingly offering to part from his link. It's the first time I've ever seen it happen, and I wonder if it's happened before. I glance over at Kaoru, and I know it isn't. His jaw is clenched and he's staring down at his feet.

"Then Kaoru and Kosuke, you two will go together," Kyoya says in a settling tone. Before anyone can object, he, Mori, and Honey disappear through the left entrance. Haruhi, Tamaki, the twins and I walk up the staircase.

When we reach the second story, Haruhi, Tamaki, and Hikaru depart with us to search the second story.

Hikaru doesn't even glance at Kaoru as he leaves.

* * *

Kaoru and I take care of the third story of the mansion. Now I know for a fact that whoever owns this mansion definitely has a case of OCD, and a HUGE one at that. The entire house is organized by color. The outside by white, the foyer by green, the living room by red, and the hallways by orange. The furniture, the walls, the floors, every single detail, right down to the picture frames.

The surroundings don't take my interest. Kaoru does.

I never thought I'd see Kaoru Hitachiin sad. He's always the prankster, the jokester, the comedic relief. But his brother is, too, and they always do it together. But now, seeing Kaoru alone and without his twin brother, his other half...it's like watching someone who's family member just died.

Not as severe, though. Kaoru isn't crying or bawling or trembling with sorrow and rage. But his head is low, his eyes trained on his feet and his arms stuck tight into his pockets.

Sometimes, when someone is upset or suffering or anything along those lines, it's best to remain silent. But as we investigate our third room (a sitting room, arranged by the color purple), I know that silence isn't the best answer. He needs someone to talk to, and I'm the only someone around him at the moment. "Are you...OK?" Slang word, _OK. _But I, oddly, don't correct myself.

"I'm fine," Kaoru snaps. I immediately clench my mouth shut, turning back to the walk-in closet I'm currently investigating, the violet colors almost blinding me. I hear Kaoru sigh as he closes the door to the all-purple bathroom. "Sorry."

"Your unnecessary apology is accepted," I reply with a light chuckle. Finding that there's no one in this room, Kaoru and I walk back out into the orange hall. "You're upset. It's normal for you to speak sharply." I frown to myself. "I apologize if that was rude."

"'Your unnecessary apology is accepted,'" Kaoru replies with a small mock. I smirk, happy that he's starting to recover, only to frown when Kaoru clenches his jaw once more.

Maybe silence _is_ the answer for now.

"You really love that locket, huh?"

The question comes at me like a baseball bat hit to the face. Reality sinks into me again. Oh, yes...the locket..._my _locket...is gone...

But I answer anyway, softly and cautiously, forcing the unhappy memories from entering my mind. "Yes, it's very dear to me."

Kaoru gave me a questioning look. "What is? The locket or the person who gave it to you?"

If only Kaoru knew how much he's killing me right now. Straightening out my shoulders, I reply, "Both of them."

Kaoru doesn't say anything for a moment. His eyes flicker from his shoes to the wooden floors before he finally leans his head back and stares up at the ceiling. "Can't say I don't know how you feel. You know, losing someone you love."

I can't even begin to explain how much this crushes me. Even Tamaki, who I know for a fact _despises _the twins, would be hugging Kaoru to death right now. "Kaoru, you didn't lose Hikaru. I know that you believe he's forgotten about you, but how could he? You're brothers. Twin brothers. You've always been together, and I know you almost always will be."

"I don't see him anywhere near me, do you?"

"I apologize if this is rude, but I said _almost. _There was eventually going to be a time where you two would grow apart, you knew it. And I know that you tried your best to prepare yourself for it, but even now, you're still worried of what will come. Kaoru, the way I know you two now, and the way I know how you two were before I met you, is like two magnets. Once stuck perfectly together and being pulled away by the years. But that never breaks the bond between the two."

Knowing that Kaoru is giving me his full attention, I finish my little speech with, "My point is that you'll never really break apart, as much as you think you will."

For a few moments, Kaoru is absolutely speechless. His mouth is slightly agape, his amber eyes are wide, and he's...Wait. Is he blushing? I think I can see a dusting of pink across his cheeks, but I can't be certain because he quickly jerks his head in the other direction. "Uh...thanks. For saying that, I mean."

Before I can reply, a scream explodes throughout the entire mansion.

Kaoru and I yell out at the same time. "TAMAKI!"

* * *

Kaoru and I arrive at the second floor hallway the same time that Kyoya, Mori, and Honey do. Through the orange void that is the hallway, I can make out the three figures of our fellow Host Club members.

Tamaki Suoh is on his knees, but out of fear, not gloom. He is incredibly, his eyes wide and twitching, his jaw hanging to the floor as strained whispers escape from his lips. Haruhi and Hikaru watch him with extreme worry and confusion.

"What happened?" Mori asks in his usual monotone.

"Room...Us...There..." Tamaki sputters, pointing a trembling hand at the door in front of him. In absolute confusion, we turn to Haruhi and Hikaru in question.

"He just looked in the room and started screaming," Hikaru explains with a shrug. He and Haruhi are just as confused as the rest of us are.

"What's in there?" Kaoru asks worriedly.

Haruhi gives a trembling shrug, carefully putting a palm on the doorknob and twisting it slowly. "Guess there's only one way to find out."

"HARUHI, NO!" Tamaki lunges forward, his hand outstretched to stop his so-called daughter.

But it's too late. Haruhi has already opened the door.

And now, we're staring inside in deadpanned, confused horror.

This is the only room that _isn't _color-coded. The walls are black and the wooden floor is covered in a deep red carpet. Or, at least, what I can see of them. There are absolutely no lights on, basking almost all of the room in total darkness.

And then...there are the shrines.

Eight of them, to be exact. Four on either side of the room, with a small walkway in-between. Each one of them is just a square black pedestal with a glass box on top, illuminated by small golden lights. Probably made for trophies, but they are all made into decorative shrines.

Of us.

We all have one. To the left are (in order) Haruhi's, Tamaki's, Kaoru's and mine. To the right are Mori's, Honey's, Hikaru's, and Kyoya's. Each one has a photo of us inside, with us posing in such a way that it implies what 'Type' we are. (For example, Tamaki is charmingly smiling, the twins have devilish smirks on their faces, and so on.) They are all decorated with roses which I guess are supposed to be our 'signature' colors. Kyoya has purple roses, Honey has pink, and I have...

Gold? Huh. That's sweet, I suppose.

What I notice most, however, is that almost all of the shrines have one of the precious objects that have been stolen. Haruhi's mechanical pencil, Kuma-chan, Usa-chan, Kyoya's black notebook, and-I choke on my breath-_my silver locket._

Anyway, we take in the new environment with wide eyes, pale skins, and stiff bodies. Hiding behind Haruhi, Tamaki whimpers out, "I warned you..."

"What is this place?" Hikaru wonders aloud, stepping forward with Kaoru into the room. We follow cautiously.

"It's like some kind of stalker lair," Kaoru adds, looking into his own little 'shrine.'

"Oh! You're hear!"

We all jump at the sudden voice. Tamaki latches himself onto Haruhi protectively.

At the end of the walkway, as flamboyant as a Suoh appearance, a light shines down on a teenage girl sitting atop a golden throne. She's traditionally pretty, with light blonde hair in bouncy curls and sparkling amber eyes. She's smiling at us in such admiration and love you'd think we were royalty.

Oddly...She seems kinda familiar.

"I'm so sorry, it was rude of me not to introduce myself sooner!" She jumps up from her throne, striding gracefully towards us. "But when I heard Kyoya at the front door, I got shy and hid."

We stare at the teenager awkwardly. Finally, Kyoya asks, "Who are you?"

"Oh, of course!" She gives us a polite curtsy, lifting up the hem of her aureolin denim skirt up a bit. "My name is Shigemi Oshiro, it's an honor to meet you."

_Shigemi? _I wonder. It sounds very, very familiar. Shigemi...Shigemi...Shigemi! Oh yes, she's the girl that Chiyo had on her team when we were playing shuffleboard together.

"...Right..." Haruhi gulps awkwardly. "We're-"

"The Ouran High School Host Club, of course!" Shigemi gushes with a squeal. "I know that! I know all about you!"

Haruhi sweats just a bit. "We're looking for our possessions."

Shigemi's head tilts to the side in confusion. "Possessions?" She makes an 'oh' sound, then giggles. "You mean _these, _right?" She gestures a sinewy arm to the shrines and our items inside.

"Yes, those!" Tamaki exclaims, pointing an angry finger at his little shrine, even though I can tell he's flattered by it.

Shigemi stares at us in fascinated confusion. "I didn't think they meant so much to you..."

We all groan at that. Obviously, she wasn't a regular customer. If she were, she would know for a fact how much Kyoya's notebook and Honey's Usa-chan meant to them. Come to think of it, I've never seen her with the Host Club except for on the yacht trip.

The twins end up breaking the awkward silence. "We're lost. Exactly how did you steal our stuff when we were always nearby?"

Shigemi smiles at that. Out of nowhere, an expensive fishing rod appears in her hand, a small silver hook dangling from the fine string. "With a lot of focus and good aim."

Every single one of us sweats a bit. So...this girl has been crawling inside the air vents and has been using her fishing rod to snatch our stuff when we weren't looking?

Impressive.

Kyoya adjusts his glasses, his onyx eyes flickering from Shigemi to his imprisoned notebook. "Either way, we came to get our possessions back."

Shigemi frowns. "Take them back?"

"Miss Oshiro, you understand that by taking our possessions without permission, you're stealing, which is breaking the law?"

Shigemi gasps, slapping a hand to her mouth. She stares down to her feet, her eyes already gleaming with wetness. "I-I'm so sorry. I...I just...couldn't bring myself to talk to you all in person..."

Beside me, Tamaki stands up straight. "What do you mean?"

Shigemi sighs, twisting her fingers the exact same way I do. "I have...a disorder...It's like OCD, but much more intense. I can't even wear different clothes if they don't match my environment..."

So that explains the color-coded mansion.

"My condition made me so lonely. Every other school I went to, I had no friends. Even now, attending Ouran, I only have a few people who talk to me. But all of you...and your club...your job is to make girls feel good. And you do! The one day I came to the club...You were all so nice to me. You made me feel like a normal person. I was worried...that if you knew how I really was...that you would shun me away like everyone else..." Shigemi sighs in embarrassment. "So...I took your possessions to make these shrines to talk to. I thought that if I just talked to your pictures and possessions, there'd be no difference..."

"Hey, we wouldn't have judged you just because of that," Haruhi tells Shigemi tenderly.

"Yeah, we don't judge people just because they have disorders," the twins agree.

Shigemi looks at us with wide eyes. "Y-you don't?"

"Of course not, my dear!" Tamaki smiles his charming princely smile that, I have to admit, I missed. Shigemi blushes, as expected. Tamaki continues, saying, "In fact, we invite you to attend our club every day without charge!" Kyoya's eye twitches, but he doesn't object.

"Really?" Shigemi gasps with a hopeful smile.

"Truly, my lovely princess," Tamaki assures her.

"Thank you! Thank you so much!"

We all nod. Suddenly, there's a thick atmosphere of awkwardness in the air. I clear my throat, offering Shigemi a smile. "I apologize, but may we have our possessions back now?"

"Oh, of course! I'm so sorry!" Shigemi blushes bashfully, scurrying away to collect our belongings. We all chuckle awkwardly.

* * *

And so, the case was resolved. Tamaki refused to report Shigemi to the police, much to Kyoya's annoyance. But, needless to say, everyone was relieved to have their belongings back. We bid Shigemi good-day, more than one of us giving her farewell hugs.

The ride to our homes, though weird, was much less awkward than the one to Shigemi's home. Tamaki made a point to call a larger limo, so we had much more elbow-room than last time. It wasn't silent, either. Tamaki was swooning all over Kuma-chan, Honey was gushing non-stop at how much he missed Usa-chan, Kyoya kept shuffling through his notebook to see if anything had been taken out of it, and Haruhi clicked her pencil to see if the lead still remained inside.

All the while, I just remained in the corner, staring at the face of my little silver locket's clock.

It never ticked.

Kyoya was the first to be dropped of, living closest. Next were Honey and Mori. I was to be let off next. While Tamaki was bubbly talking to Haruhi, with the twins occasionally throwing in teasing comments, we pull up to my home. The Victorian mansion looks particularly ancient in the golden sunlight brought by the last rays of day. I grab my book-bag, carefully tucking my locket into my pocket. As I push open the door, I hear, "Kosuke?"

I turn to look at Kaoru, who had just addressed me. "Yes?"

Kaoru suddenly looks away, breaking our eye contact. "Uh...Thanks, again. For what you said."

I smile at him. "Of course."

Then I close the door.

**And there's episode 5! Hope this extra-longie made up for the last chapter.**

**Now, I want to point a few things out to you guys:**

**1. I realized that in the first episode, Kosuke and Haruhi meet in the same classroom even though they're in different years. I read that in some Japanese schools, different years are paired together during some class periods. **

**2. The reason Mori and the twins didn't lose anything precious is that I think that, in Mori's case, Honey is most precious to him, and, in the twins' case, they're most precious to each other.**

**3. If you have OCD, **_**PLEASE **_**DO NOT TAKE ANY OFFENSE TO THIS! It wasn't meant to be offensive whatsoever.**

**I NEED EPISODE SUGGESTIONS. I AM SERIOUSLY STUCK RIGHT NOW.**

**Anyway, until next time!**

~LunarisAmor


	16. The Host Club's Golden Week! Part 1

**Fun fact #4: Originally, Kosuke wasn't going to attend school cross-dressing as a boy. She was going to attend school as an actual girl, but a story never came from the idea.**

**KOSUKE'S P.O.V.**

I wake up to the Royal Fanfare blasting throughout my room.

My immediate reaction is a tired groan that escapes from my throat. Hauling my body to turn over, the quilts of my bed twisting around my torso and legs, I look over at my blaring cellphone. The screen is flashing a picture of a charmingly-smiling Tamaki, posed in such a way that it looks like he's holding out a red rose for me. Propping myself up on my elbow, I grab the lacy-designed cellular device and click the green button. "Hello."

_"Good morning, Kosuke~!" _Tamaki sings at me so loudly I immediately pull the phone from my eardrum. He probably just woke up everyone in the entire house, maybe even a few of our neighbors. In fact, a flock of birds spring up from the apple tree in our front yard, fleeing away. Lucky.

Over the ringing in my left ear, I respond hoarsely, "Good morning, Tamaki."

_"You know what today is, don't yooooooou~?"_

I squint my eyes, free of their usual ruby contacts, to the other side of the room. There, against the left-hand wisteria-and-white-striped wall of my bedroom, I can see the date on the calendar, printed in red Impact font: _April 29th. _"Shōwa Day, yes?"

_"That's right! And do you know what that means?"_

Before I can answer, the Royal Fanfare chimes from my cellphone once more, and then a second time. "I apologize, Tamaki, two people are calling me." At Tamaki's 'OK', I click the blinking green answer button twice.

_"Hello, Kosu-chan!" _Honey's childish, high-pitched voice greets me, with Mori's grunt of acknowledgement following soon after. Tamaki's picture is pressed down to the bottom of the screen as Honey and Mori's pictures stack on top of it, bordered by thin black lines. Honey is surrounded by flowers and holding Usa-chan closely, and Mori is giving me a slight smile.

"Er...Hello, Honey." I greet awkwardly. Is there a particular reason that three of my fellow colleagues are calling me at eight in the morning? Even more so, on a school-free morning?

_"We wanted to see if we're still meeting together today," _Mori explains simply and casually.

Furrowing my eyebrows, I sit straight up on my mattress, the bed squeaking beneath me from the quick movement. "Excuse me?"

_"Oh, hold on a second!" _Tamaki tells the three of us suddenly.

There's a small chirp, and the screen of my phone turns four-panel. Honey is now in the lower left-hand corner, Tamaki in the lower right-hand, Mori in the upper left-hand and, now, Kyoya in the upper right-hand. His picture has him with his arms crossed, his glasses shining.

_"I trust that all of you are ready to go?" _Kyoya asks with a dangerous tone in his voice. I had already been told that Kyoya is _NOT _a morning person, and he sounds like he's about to snap any second now. _"I'm about to get the limousine ready to go."_

"I apologize, but where are we going?" I finally get to ask without anyone interrupting me. In the next room, I hear Minami shuffle in her bed, and I tone my voice down a bit.

Someone must have added the twins to our chat, because they appear in the same picture, in the middle of the other four pictures. They're giving me identical smirks, their fingers holding their chins. _"We're going to the Shōwa Day Festival. We thought you knew?"_

"I don't remember anyone telling me," I reply awkwardly, rubbing the back of my neck, my free, tangled red locks twining around my fingers. The Host Club was nice and all, but everyone needs a break now and then. Especially the likes of_ me_.

_"Well, we just did," _the twins tease me before chuckling together. I groan inwardly, a bead of sweat rolling down my cheek.

_"We're picking you up in thirty minutes," _Kyoya states in a final tone.

Before I can object or disagree, all six of them hang up on me in perfect unison, the face of my phone going back to my usual family-photo screensaver.

I let out a long groan, plopping back down on my mattress and pulling my quilts over my head. Today, I was planning to use my week's allowance to go to the Festival by myself, by some things for myself and a toy for Minami. It was a sort of system for me: do chores around the house, save up my allowance and spend it on a weekend trip. Last week, I had saved up my allowance as well as many other weekend chores for Golden Week. Mostly, I was looking forward to my usual weekend blessing: Going out in public, _not _dressed as a boy.

Just as I command myself to throw back my quilts and swing my legs over the side of my bed, my phone fanfares once more. Telling myself to be polite and not snap, I click the answer button without looking at whoever was calling. "Hello?"

_"They didn't tell you, either, did they?" _Haruhi asks. Obviously, she's in the exact same fix I am right now.

I sigh, pushing my dyed hair tight from my face. "No."

_"I have your back if you have mine."_

I chuckle at that. At least I can count on Haruhi when it comes to reason. "You have my word."

* * *

A half-hour later saw me ready to go. My wig had been fixed perfectly into place, my contacts coating my eyes. I had decided to dress in a black-and-red pinstripe vest, a black-and-white houndstooth bow tie, a gray button-up shirt with the sleeves pushed up to my elbows, and red converse. I very much wanted to take my locket but was concerned that it would get stolen again. I decide to keep my allowance in my pocket, though, because 1: It's not nearly as precious to me as the locket, and 2: It's be really awkward if I took off my shoe each time I bought something. So, I decided to stick the locket into the toe of my right shoe. That way, I would know for sure that I would always have it with me, with no concern of someone grabbing it. As I waited for the limousine to pull up, I nibbled on tamago kake gohan with a side of takuan.

The limousine pulls up, surprisingly, later than expected. I gulped down the remainder of my green tea, scalding my esophagus and forcing me to choke out my farewell to Mother. After a quick dash through our garden, my feet slapping down on the polished brick walkway, I pull open the door to the long vehicle.

Immediately, I'm greeted with the faces of Kyoya, Mori and Honey. Kyoya is, naturally, clicking away at his cellphone, his jaw set and his glasses lit in an obviously annoyed image. He's dressed in a high-collar black jacket over a dark purple T-shirt, pressed blue jeans and black dress shoes.

I had heard that Honey, too, is a dangerous morning person, but he's using Mori's lap as a pillow to sleep on, Usa-chan clutched close to his chest. He's dressed in a deep green jacket, a pale yellow T-shirt, khaki shorts and bright red rubber boots. Mori has his head leaned back against the head of his seat, but he isn't asleep, because I can see his eyelids just ever-so-slightly cracked open. He's clad in a grayish-blue V-neck shirt, a white denim vest, a thick black belt, pale blue jeans and black converse.

About ten minutes later, as I'm staring out of the limousine window, taking in all of the Shōwa Day neighborhoods have set up for themselves-I particularly like the paper lanterns hanging from the tree branches-something appears right in front of my face, courtesy of Kyoya. I take the object into my fingers, realizing that it's a brochure for the festival. I open it up, asking, "What activities are we doing?"

"All of them." Two voices say at the same time. I look over to see the twins climbing inside, looking just as casual as the others but in different clothes. (For once.) Kaoru is dressed in a black tank top, a short-sleeved white hoodie with a black symbol stamped on the right side, not-too-baggy jeans and gray sneakers. Hikaru is dressed is a white tank top, a transparent white vest, plaid gray shorts and high-top sneakers. "We're staying until they light the lanterns at midnight."

"...I apologize, but it's only eight forty-five."

"So we'll have time to do everything," the twins shrug and smirk, leaning forward and propping their elbows on their knees in perfect unison. "Don't you usually go to these things?"

"Yes, but I only stroll around to buy my sister a present. Maybe get a bit of food, too." I reply, looking inside the brochure.

I jump a foot from my leather seat. "T-The Festival covers five neighborhoods!"

"And a Town Square," the twins add, crossing the arms and looking pretty pleased with themselves.

"The Festival is being contributed to by some of our families," Kyoya tells me with a closing click of his phone. "My family are covering the emergency team. The Haninozukas and the Morinozukas are hosting a karate show in the Square, and the Suohs are sponsoring the entire Festival."

"So, that means more activities and booths?" I question, looking up from the brochure to look at him in address.

"That means a _lot _more activities and booths." The twins correct me.

* * *

Fifteen minutes later, now with Tamaki and Haruhi in tow, we arrive at the Festival. There's been, without a doubt, some sort of update with the decorations. Every single tree is covered in carmine lanterns, the branches tied in golden ribbons. Almost every single item was stamped with the golden chrysanthemum symbol. Children ran by, giggling and laughing as they played with the toys they had purchased from nearby booths. Parents called after them to slow down to no avail. Mothers pushed baby carriages down sidewalks, elderly couples held hands as they inspected items for sell, teenagers walked by laughing with their friends.

I envy them.

We all step out of the limousine, catching the attention of passing teenage girls. As the limousine drives away, Tamaki pulls out a brochure of his own, folded so that the activity schedule is showing. Today, he's actually dressed pretty casually: a fern green camp shirt half-open, half-buttoned, a white T-shirt underneath, simply blue jeans and worn brown sneakers. "Alright, we need to meet at the Town Square at nine-thirty for the Paper-Lantern Making. Until then, everyone enjoy yourselves!"


	17. The Host Club Club's Golden Week! Part 2

**Fun Fact #5: Kosuke's fifteen years old right now. Respectively, Kaoru, Hikaru and Haruhi are sixteen, Kyoya and Tamaki are seventeen, and Mori and Honey are eighteen.**

The Paper-Lantern Making ends up humiliating six out of eight of us.

As it turns out, the event was meant to be for children. I mean, the oldest child I see can't be older than nine years old. Everything set out is solely for children. Safety scissors, tiny smocks, and sticks of twist-up glue. There are ten white-top plastic tables draped in scarlet tablecloths, with two adults to each.

So, as you can imagine, this is pretty embarrassing. We're towering like giants over every child, and every single parent and helper is staring at us confusedly. It's really awkward. The tiny smock that barely comes down to my thighs makes it worse.

I'm really envious of Honey right now. He looks absolutely normal in his surroundings, giggling and laughing like a completely typical child. He's enjoying himself to the fullest as Mori stands behind him, holding Usa-chan for his cousin.

Tamaki seems to be enjoying himself, too, but he's making a mess. His hands are sticky with glue, sprinkled with confetti and ribbons, his smock splattered in paint. He's now working on his third paper lantern, having accidentally ripped his last two. He's actually causing more trouble than the children and a helper is now staying right beside him.

I try to ignore the confused stares of the bystanders by working on my paper lantern. I had chosen a wisteria-colored, argyle-patterned, cylinder-shaped one, and had already written _浩介 _vertically in gold paint. I had also lined the edges in three layers of frills, colored dark blue, violet-blue and indigo.

The event closes an hour later. We had to stay because Tamaki was still struggling with his paper lantern, and even Haruhi's help didn't prevail entirely. The helpers takes up the paper lanterns, saying they're going to hold onto them until the Lantern-Releasing. Those who won't be there for the event take their lanterns with them.

"NO!"

A scream of anger makes us jump. A few feet away, a little boy is arguing with a helper. He's probably no older than nine or ten.

Curly brown hair sits atop his head, his nose and cheeks splashed with freckles. Big brown eyes are squeezed shut in childish anger. He's dressed in a red T-shirt with long white sleeves, as well as as asparagus-colored cargo pants and green sneakers. He's holding a bright red, circular paper lantern in his right hand. Red ribbons are dangling from the bottom, and I think I can see _栄 _written in vertical gold scrawl on its side.

"YOU CAN'T TAKE IT!" The boy shrieks, holding his lantern further away from the helper's reach.

The helper, a forty-something woman with long black hair pulled into a tight ponytail, huffs in frustration. "Sweetie, if we're going to find your Mommy, we need your lantern so we can see what her name is."

"NO!" The boy shrieks once again. Suddenly, he dashes away from the helper and-_of course_-runs right to us. He darts right behind Haruhi's legs, using them as a barricade as he continues to yell, "YOU CAN'T TAKE IT!"

The helper sighs and stands up to look at us with brown eyes filled with apology. "I don't suppose I could ask you to take care of him until the authorities find his mother?"

"Uh..." Haruhi's face shows uncertainty and discomfort. I don't blame her. Wasting Shōwa Day with/on the Host Club is bad enough, but having to take care of a child you don't even know makes it ten times worse. Not that I dislike children, I love children. Especially when I _know _them...

Before Haruhi has the slightest chance to answer, Tamaki puts on his best charming smile, pointed directly at the helper as he does a graceful bow. "It would be an honor, milady!"

The helper gives Tamaki a confused look, making the twins stifle laughs behind me. "Riiiight..." She clears her throat and turns on her heel. "Anyway, keep an eye on him."

"You have my word!" Tamaki calls after her. He turns around, kneeling at the same time, to face the boy . "So, my boy, what's your-"

Tamaki cuts off at the boy's face. He's glaring icily at the older teenager from behind Haruhi's legs, holding the paper lantern so that it's out of the blond's reach. Tamaki's face darkens in awkwardness.

I kneel down next to the boy. Unsurprisingly, he adjusts his lantern so it's away from me. "Don't worry. I'm not going to take it."

He's silent for a moment, his chocolate eyes searching mine for a sign that he shouldn't trust me. He must not of found anything, because he nods his head, his brown curls bouncing. "OK."

"I'm Kosuke," I tell him. I gesture with my hand to the others in turn. "These are Tamaki, Haruhi, Kyoya, Mori, Honey, Hikaru and Kaoru."

The boy remains silent.

I can feel the discomfort radiating off of him. "Do you know where your mother is?"

The boy pauses before shaking his head left to right.

"We're going to find her," I try to assure him. "But you need to stay with us, alright?"

He nods again.

"C'mon, you guys!" Honey calls cheerily to all of us before he begins to bunny-hop in the opposite direction. Mori immediately follows his cousin without hesitation. "I saw a Make-Your-Own-Snowglobe booth around the corner!"

Tamaki squeals excitedly and dashes after his senior, followed by Kyoya. The twins shrug and follow as well, followed by a grumbling Haruhi. I turn to look down at the little boy expectantly and hold out my hand.

He pauses for just a moment before taking it.

* * *

Before we go to join the others, I talk to a police officer to make an official report. The little boy described his mother the best he could, and gave her name, Sakae. The officer wrote everything word-by-word in a notebook.

He dismissed himself to make a call to all of the officers, and told us to go enjoy ourselves. (Apparently, one Ootori police officer was placed every three blocks, so they would have no time finding us again.) So, we all made our own snow-globes, which turned out to be just as much as a disaster as the Paper-lantern making. We were, once again, the oldest people there. Haruhi had to lead Tamaki's hands with her own the entire time. Not that he minded, he actually seemed to completely forget about the snow-globe. The twins had brought a digital camera with them and took a picture of Honey adding _far _too much pink snow into his snow-globe as Mori tried to stop him. The little boy refused to lift a single finger from his lantern. But I could tell he wanted a snow-globe, too, so I let him pick out the container (a small jar), lid (orange), figurine (a pretty brunette woman) and snow color (the same orange as the lid) while I assembled them. After I made one for Minami (a small jar with a timberwolf lid, a mouse figurine and silver snowflakes), we left to go to the next activity.

...Which turned out to be a bird-watching event completely reserved in the nearby park. Kyoya's family probably had something to do with this one. The binoculars scattered in stations were rectangular and took pictures if you pressed down on a small red button. Because the little boy still refused to let go of his lantern, I held the binoculars in front of his eyes, turning and taking pictures when he told me to. An eagle actually landed down on Kyoya's shoulder, an event that the twins took yet another good picture of.

After that was Water-Dunking. A middle-aged man sat inside a small chamber, his small seat hovering above a pool of crystal clear water. One person after another took turns tossing red tennis balls at a red and white target. Not a single one hit it. Mori stepped up to the line, picked up one of the tennis balls, and chucked it at the target. He hit it on the first try and the man went splashing. The twins took a perfect picture of Mori's throwing pose and the ball hitting the target as the rest of us laughed like mad hatters.

Following these events was a Shootin' Range, a Curry-Tasting, some Face-Painting, a break for lunch, a game of Fish-Scooping, a Fortune-Telling, a testing for a new video game called _Shards of Memories_, all topped off with a carriage ride around the premises. The twins took pictures the entire time: One of Haruhi shooting down a target and winning a humongous stuffed monkey as a prize. Another of Tamaki accidentally eating some Ghost-Chili curry and running up and down the street with his mouth in flames. Honey getting Usa-chan's face painted on his cheek. The twins poking their Yakitori like they were living animals. Me helping the little boy catch a goldfish on a scooper, his face lit up in joy. Tamaki and Haruhi being told by the fortune teller that they will always be together, with Haruhi looking bashfully scared and Tamaki looking like he could die happy, to say the least. The Hosts and every other person in the tent watching in absolute shock as I play _Shards of Memories _better than anyone else there. And finally, an absolutely humiliating photo of the carriage hitting a bump, me falling into Kaoru's lap and his face going up in flames.

Between these little activities, I talk to the nearby police officers every now and then to see how the search for the little boy's mother. Unfortunately, the search isn't going very well. The possibilities that the boy's mother went elsewhere, or that the little boy's description may have been wrong. On top of that, the boy's small lisp made us guess that the woman's name was Sakae, even though it sounded almost just as much as Saki or Sakaye. If they didn't find the mother by midnight, they would have to do a town-wide search.

But I didn't let it bother me too much. After all, everyone else was having fun, and having a negative attitude would just put them down.

Finally, we enter the Town Square attend the karate show held by Morinozukas and Haninozukas, which goes on for forty-five minutes. Calling me impressed is the understatement of the year. I'm in stunned silence as the two family fathers dash to and fro, their Shotokan moves both furious and graceful. The intensity grows by the second. The crowd is going nuts by the time the event ended.

We step down the leather bleachers to go attend the next event, which has yet to be determined by the others. By now, a bit after nine o'clock, the sky has turned a rich violet-blue color, the stars twinkling silver and the half-moon shining brightly. The lanterns in the trees had been lit into golden orbs. Children chased and captured lightning bugs.

As the others continued to argue about the next event, a strong breeze blew through the Square. My hand instantly went to my wig to keep it in place as my clothes fluttered in the wind. The others did the same.

Unfortunately, the little boy's grip on his paper lantern had lessened a bit. The scarlet lantern escapes his hand and flies away, carried by the breeze like a leaf in the river.

"NO!" the little boy breaks away from my hand to run after his lantern.

"No, wait!" I tried to call after him. It's no use. He's paying me no mind as he continues to dash after the crimson orb. Each time a person walks by it, or the breeze picks up, the lantern just floats away more, pulling the little boy with it.

There's no other choice. I run after him. I'm vaguely aware of the others calling after me, but I (although rudely) pay them no mind. I can't just let him go!

I'm not that kind of person.

**There you go! Thanks for all the reviews! **

**This episode is basically just a little story that shows to big significance to the storyline.**

**By the way, I would like to inform you guys that if you leave any questions in your reviews, I'll answer them in the next chapter. With that said, EPISODE SUGGESTIONS ARE EMBRACED WITH LOVE. I NEED THEM.**

**R&R!**

**~LunarisAmor**


	18. The Host Club's Golden Week! Part 3

**Fun Fact #6: Kosuke's birthday is on January 18th.**

**Answers:**

In-The-Shadow-Of-the-Robot**: Um...Keep reading to find out. ^_^**

Guest**: Thank you for the great episode suggestions! I'll definitely try to use them later on! As for your second suggestion, I had actually tried to do an episode in which Kosuke's siblings try to pull her out of the Host Club and join another one due to all the danger...until I remembered that Kyoya was blackmailing her to do the Club. Kinda makes a plothole...**

**Anywho, on with the story!**

* * *

**KOSUKE'S P.O.V.**

I don't know how long I chase the little boy for. It could have been mere minutes or even a few hours. I know I pass a few clocks, but I pay them no mind whatsoever. All I focus on is the little boy. I'm far behind him enough so that I can never make out his full form. All I can see of him is the flash of his clothes or the movement of his running feet. He's small, so he darts through the legs of the passerby easily. But I, on the other hand, keep getting held back by the families and friends clustered together. Apologies never stop emitting from my mouth.

Just when I lose sight of the little boy entirely, I break out of the festival boundaries entirely. The endless crowd of people, merchants and booths vanish. I'm now standing at the entrance of an unfamiliar walking trail. The path is made of smooth gray stones clustered together into a four-foot-wide path that winds around thick bushes and large trees. The black iron gate is still moving from someone flinging it open. Instinctively, I dash after it.

Immediately, a soft pang of regret enters in my stomach. The only light came from the tiny bulbs strung in the branches of the trees. I can only hear the crunch of my feet hitting the stones, the chirps of crickets and my own panting breaths. Not hide nor hair of the little boy can be seen.

The second I break from the forest line is the exact second I become aware of the burning of my heart. Sure enough, when I look down at my HRD, the lines were halfway between green and red, and just a quiver away from beeping. So I finally stop, knowing that if the little boy isn't anywhere close-by, I would have to give up and report it to the officers. For a few minutes, I'm hunched over with my hands on my knees and my head hung low as I catch my breath. As I do so, I look up to my new surroundings. The thick, leafy trees had vanished. As a matter of fact, the only trees I can see around me where lovely sakura trees, their lovely pink blossoms lit with hidden bulbs tied to the branches. Lush green grass cover their roots. A large, gorgeous lake lays twenty-five feet away. Another festival street is on the other side, far away, lit up in so many lights it's a bright beacon of color. The colorful lights of the street mix with the twinkling stars above, making the water of the lake glimmer beautifully.

A wooden bench stands at the shore of the lake beside another sakura tree. I could see someone sitting there, his figure silhouetted against the shine of light. I know immediately it's the little boy.

I take a deep breath and approach him. He must not hear me, or he does and chooses not to acknowledge me, because he doesn't move in the slightest. Not even when I sit down next to him.

"Are you OK?" I ask him as soothingly as possible, setting a hand between his little shoulders. He only flinches a tiny bit.

"No..." I hear him murmur. Part of my already damaged heart breaks at the sound. Poor boy. He's on the verge of crying.

"Are you hurt?"

"No..."

"What's wrong?"

He pauses a moment before silently answering. He holds out his paper lantern just enough so that I can see the tear in the paper, about the size of the little boy's pinky finger.

"It won't be able to float now," the little boy says, his voice barely above a whisper. His chocolate brown eyes are squeezed shut now to imprison the oncoming tears.

"Hey, it's alright," I tell him softly. I pull out a clean tissue from my pants pocket and hand it over to him. He blows into it quietly. "Here..."

I reach back into my pants pocket and pull out a roll of clear tape. It's one of the many items we were _just_ able to pry off of Tamaki's glued fingers. It had been such a trouble that the helpers of the snow-globe-making helpers had waved us away, telling us to just keep it. It had ended up in my pocket, and I'm relieved to have it with me now.

I turn to the little boy, leaning forward so that he can look into my face. As reassuringly as I can, I tell him, "I need to see your lantern, OK?"

He holds the lantern away in answer.

"I'm not going to take it. I need it so that I can fix it." I hold out a hand for the lantern. "I won't take it away, I promise."

The little boy looks right into my eyes for a long, hard moment. It's in those moments that I see the emotion that he had never shown earlier today: sadness. I finally understand how hard this must be for him. A little child all alone in a world of strangers. His mother nowhere to be found. But with the sadness, I can see another emotion, the one I needed, stirring in his chocolate orbs: trust.

He finally hands the lantern over, a bit stiffly. I offer him a small smile as he does so. I gingerly set the lantern in my lap, leaning to the right so that I can see the inside of the tear as best as possible. The tape is just wide enough to completely cover the gaping entrance the tear has left. I tear off a strip of tape and carefully reach inside the lantern to press it to the tear.

"There," I hand the lantern back to the little boy. He takes it in his little hands, his expression almost one of disbelief. "All better."

He stares at the lantern for a long moment of silence. On closer inspection, however, I see that he's looking at the name on the side of it instead. _Sakae_. His mother's name.

And then I see them. The tiny droplets of moisture brimming in his chocolate brown eyes, glimmering in the colorful light of the lake's shine. And then I see the tremble of his lip and the trembling of his hands.

I pull him in for a hug just as he starts crying.

We're in this position for a long time. Possibly hours. Maybe a bit less. I'll never be sure. I just keep my arms around his small body, one hand on his shoulder as he bawls and hiccups uncontrollably into the crook of my neck. My shirt is soaked and my ears are irritated from his pitiful cries, but I pay those facts no mind.

Finally, when his cries cease and his hiccups are quiet, I pull back to hand him his tissue back. He blows into it loudly. Afterwards, I rub his tears away with my thumb.

"I want to light my lantern..."

I just barely catch this sentence as it leaves his lips. A bit louder, he repeats, "I want to light my lantern." Quietly, he adds, "She's supposed to see it."

I only give it a moment's thought before I understand. Understand who "She" is. I look at the opposite shore of the lake, squinting slightly. It must be near midnight. I can't count exactly how many, but at least a hundred people are clustered together at the shore, adults, teens, and children alike. I can see the colorful cylinders, ovals, and circles of paper lanterns.

"Alright, let's light it," I smile at him kindly and offer him a hand. "Let's light it."

He actually takes my hand, still sniffling. I lead the little boy to the water's edge and reach into my pocket. The ring inside the paper lantern came with its own special match. I have to scratch it against a large stone for minutes before it finally lights. When it does, I carefully light the ring of fire inside the paper lantern. As countless shapes descend into the sky from the opposite shore, the little boy and I push his lantern into the air.

We watch it float up into the air for a long, silent time. Although there are are other lanterns that look somewhat like it, the lantern seems to stand out amongst all of them, trailing behind them like a duckling trying to catch up to its flock.

_"Riku!"_

The little boy and I turn to our right at the nearby shout. A woman, probably in her early thirties, is running towards us so quickly it's almost inhuman. Curly chocolate locks are pulled up into a messy bun atop her head. Hazel eyes are wide against pale skin with exhaustion and relief. She's dressed in a violet blouse and dark blue jeans with a black belt and a pair of gray slip-on flats.

_"Mama!"_

The little boy, Riku, snaps out of his disbelieved trance in a loud cry. He runs into his mother's arms, a new wave of tears taking over his body. Tears of relieved joy. Sakae pulls Riku tight to her body, cooing to her son between her own silent tears.

I can't help the smile that takes over my face.

* * *

As I had expected, Sakae had never meant to lose Riku. But as it turns out, Riku was never supposed to be at the festival in the first place.

Riku and Sakae had been traveling to Kakuda on a five-hour bus ride to visit Riku's grandmother. When they took a stop in Bunkyō at 9:00, Sakae had left her seat (next to Riku) to go to the bus's bathroom in the back. Riku was taking a nap at this time and woke up shortly after she left. Apparently, Riku had looked out the window and saw a woman that looked a lot like Sakae walking away from the bus. He thought she was leaving him and ran out of the bus to chase after her. It was only after the bus had left that he found out it wasn't his mother. Sakae said that when she returned to her seat, she thought Riku was still asleep because his blanket was still bundled next to him, supposedly over his body. Four hours later, at 2:00, Sakae discovered to her horror that the form under the blanket was just Riku's stuffed bear. After calling her mother to inform her, Sakae had tried to on another bus. But the next bus to Bunkyō was at 7:30. She arrived at the festival at 11:30 as a result.

Sakae wouldn't stop thanking me for looking after Riku while she was gone. It took ten minutes of reassuring to calm her down, and even then, she was still in tears.

What comes next caught me completely off-guard. Sakae excuses herself and Riku to go report the accomplished problem to the police and, afterwards, get back on the bus (which, luckily, was just thirty minutes away.) Sakae takes Riku's hand and leads him just ten yards away when Riku stops her and pulls her down to whisper in her ear. Sakae smiles and nods.

And then, just like that, Riku runs back and almost tackles me in a hug.

For a long moment, I just stand here, my eyes wide and my body stone-still. My arms are outstretched from the force of the embrace and are currently frozen.

"Thanks, Kosuke," I just barely hear Riku muffle into my shoulder.

I smile then. A real smile. Not just a little pull of the lips or a shy smirk. A real, toothy smile that is completely unforced. My stiff arms hug Riku back, albeit awkwardly but still full-heartedly. A let Riku go after a moment and he runs back to Sakae. They walk away, hand-in hand, waving me goodbye as their forms grow smaller and smaller.

They finally disappear in the packed crowd across the lake.

"Kosu-chan!"

I'm so busy staring at Sakae and Riku's nonexistent forms that I almost don't hear Honey calling for me. Sure enough, when I turn around, all seven Hosts are running at me. Tamaki is the first to speak when they reach me.

"Where have you been?!" he yells loudly enough so that a few people on the opposite shore turn their heads questionably.

There's a few beats of silence before I awkwardly respond, "Here."

Tamaki freezes with one finger still pointed at me. The twins stifle laughter behind him.

"I apologize," I quickly say once I realize my fault. To try and break the awkward ice that's come between us, I ask, "Did you light your lanterns?"

Tamaki brightens like the sun at that. He spins on his heel to point a finger at the orb-filled sky. "There it-"

Tamaki's mess of a lantern isn't in the sky.

It's sinking into the water of the lake.

Tamaki stares at his dying creation for a long time before tiny tears fill his devastated eyes. As he slumps down heavily, Haruhi gives him a comforting pat on the back. "It was special." Tamaki glows at that.

Honey yawns quite loudly atop Mori's shoulders. He buries his head into Usa-chan's felt as he murmurs, "Can we go home now? I'm getting sleepy."

"The limo's waiting on us," Kyoya agrees somewhat grumpily. The eight of us gather our things and begin rounding the glimmering lake in the direction of the main street. Across the shore, people are already retreating to their vehicles, their hands filled with bags and their shoulders stacked with tired children. It's only know that I'm aware of how tired I am, too. My eyelids feel slightly heavy as well as my shoulders. I'm ready to crawl into my bed when I get home.

"Hey, Kosuke?"

I turn around at the rather timid voice. Kaoru is standing behind me (in front of me now) with something lavender and cylinder-shaped in his right hand. My lantern, which I had completely forgotten about in my pursuit of Riku. Kaoru had been courteous enough to light it for me.

"I, uh...Didn't know if you'd still want this but..." he awkwardly hands the lantern out to me. "Here."

"Oh. I appreciate it," I tell him with a thankful nod as I take the lantern from him. Though it's almost entirely nonexistent, the very tips of our fingers brush against each other for just a half of a second.

Kaoru's hand flies away from the lantern as if it were made of still-lighted coals. He cradles it in his other hand somewhat worriedly. My eyebrows furrow in concern. "Did you burn yourself?"

"Uh...yeah." Kaoru shoves his injured hand into his pocket. Like it wasn't burned at all(?). He clears his throat-twice-before he pushes past me in a hurried fashion. "I'm gonna go ahead and get to the limo. Take your time."

He dashes away before I can reply. I watch his retreating figure for a moment before my gaze turns to the lantern. I hold onto it for a long moment, the paper crinkling underneath by fingers.

Then, I lift it into the air.

I stand on the shore of that glimmering lake for a long time. I stare at the cylinder of my lantern as it gets smaller and smaller in the starry sky. It's alone now, all the other hundreds of lanterns having left it. It's so small now. No bigger than my thumbnail.

And so is the writing inside.

_謙信_

**Aaaaaand there's episode 6. I'd just like to point out that all of the previous episodes (as well as this one) take place in April. The Japanese school year starts on April 5th, so the timeline of the episodes is pretty packed together right now. So, as of the next episode, there will be a system: two episodes will take place in every month until the end of the Japanese school year, which is on March 24th. So, two episodes will be in May, two episodes will be in June, and so on so forth.**

**Thanks for all of your reviews! And remember, praise and complaints are greeted equally! EPISODE SUGGESTIONS ARE ALSO APPRECIATED. I'M SERIOUS.**

**Anywho, 'till later!**

**~LunarisAmor**


	19. The Problem with Yasuchika Part 1

**Fun fact #7: Riku, the character in the previous chapter, was named after the **_**Kingdom Hearts **_**character.**

**Answers: **

In-The-Shadow-Of-the-Robot: **Google Translate, my friend. If your confused with the result, all will be explained soon enough. And I didn't mean to offend you at all! I just put "Uh..." so I wouldn't entirely spoil taht chapter before you read it.**

Jestie Uchiha: **Soon enough, my friend, soon enough.**

MiraclesVeemon: **I very much thank you for your song suggestion, but I've made Kosuke's official theme "Everything's Alright" from To the Moon. But for the record, I love that song.**

**0000000000000**

**KOSUKE'S P.O.V.**

"..."

"..."

"..."

"..."

_**"...WHAT?!"**_

I flinch at the screaming voices of Tamaki and Hikaru. Haruhi, Kyoya, and Kaoru stand behind my right-hand side. Mori, Honey, Tamaki and Hikaru stand in front of me. The lines on my HRD are flickering from red to green and back again. My scalp is blazing under my wig and my palms feel like rubber. Honey is staring at me with wide eyes. Mori, of course, is emotionless. But Hikaru and Tamaki look like they're frozen in a block of ice cold shock. Their eyes are impossibly big, their jaws are inches away from the floor and every limb on their bodies are limp.

Yes.

I just told them I'm a girl.

* * *

_**EARLIER THAT DAY**_

_It was seven o'clock. My siblings were still asleep in their bedrooms. I, however, was up and about. I was still in my plaid flannel pajamas. My messy, bright red hair probably looked liked a crow's nest on my head. Downstairs, I could hear the sizzling and popping of food in a skillet, accompanied by a delicious aroma that fills the entire house. My bare feet padded against the polished wood of the stairs as I descended into the kitchen. _

_Sure enough, Mother was standing in front of the kitchen stove. She'd already dressed for work in a sky blue blouse and white pencil skirt with a pair of studded flats. Her hair was already pulled into its usual messy bun, and I could see the black eyeliner on her eyelids. She had a white apron tied around her torso with a spatula in her hand. Two skillets of bacon and eggs were sizzling on the stove. A bowl of ginger roots, carrots, and broccoli was pushed to the side._

_"Good morning, Mother," I greeted with a loud yawn. I forgot my manners and didn't cover my mouth with my hand._

_Mother turned around and smiled at me before returning her attention to the frying food. "Good morning, sweetheart. What are you doing up so early?"_

_"I'd appreciate it if I could talk to you..."_

_"Sure I can, sweetie. Why don't you come over here so I can hear you better."_

_"Yes, ma'am," I said as I shuffled over to her side. "Do you need any help?"_

_"Oh, that's sweet of you. You can make the green tea if you want."_

_"Yes, ma'am." I stepped over to the cupboard to find the kettle. I opened the door and start digging around in its contents. I found the powder pink kettle and set it on the counter before I took the sieve from the utensil drawer._

_"Now, what's wrong?"_

_"Nothing." I reached over to the glass bowl to my left and took off the lid. I grabbed the teaspoon inside and poured five spoonfuls of green tea leaves into the sieve. "I...request your permission for...something..."_

_"Of course. What is it?"_

_I felt my fingers twitch as I set the the kettle in the sink. This was a long shot. Not with Mother, she'd agree to let me move to Antarctica to raise seals if I asked. I was more worried about what I would do when she said yes. And what the reaction would be._

_"I've...decided to tell the other Hosts that I'm a girl."_

_"OK."_

_Of course._

_"You...don't disagree with my decision?"_

_"No. You can tell them if you want." Mother gave me a sideways glance. "Sweetie, are you going to turn on the water?"_

_I snapped out of my stupefied state to turn the hot faucet in the sink in embarrassment. I watched the sparkling water pour through the sieve, staining the water green, whilst twiddling my fingers._

_"Sweetheart, do you want me to have a problem with it?"_

_"No, ma'am. That's why I requested your permission."_

_Mother gave me a knowing smile as she cracked another egg into the frying pan. The gooey yolk hit the iron and began to fry immediately. The loud popping sound was somehow comforting to me. "But you're worried about how they will react."_

_I sighed inwardly. Even though Mother has the worrisome inefficiency to say no, she can read you like a preschooler's book. Or me, at least. I turned off the faucet as I responded, "I am. I know Mori won't react. Honey will possibly be confused but I doubt he'll be angry. Hikaru will likely be upset. And Tamaki...To be honest, I'm scared about him in particular."_

_"From all the things I've heard of these friends of yours-"_

Cripes, Mother.

_"-I'm positive that although they may be a bit upset, they won't be mad at you. At least, not for long. Friends are friends because they stick by you." Mother's slender hands reach behind her back to untie her apron. "You go get ready for school. I'll take care of the tea."_

* * *

"Wh-wh-you-ya-who-whe-sha..." Tamaki blubbers uncontrollably as he continues to point a trembling finger at me. His blubbering turns to incomprehensible growls and cries as he runs to and fro, tugging at his blonde hair and flailing his arms about.

"I...apologize..."

Hikaru continues to stare at me with a mixture of shock and anger before he rounds on Kyoya. The angry flush on his face looks bloody on his snow-pale skin. "How come you never told us?!"

"What makes you assume that I kn-"

_"Kyoya."_

"...You never asked."

"IS THAT YOU'RE ONLY RESPONSE TO EVERYTHING?!" Tamaki screamed from the other side of the room before he continued to have his tantrum. Haruhi sighed as he ran right into the curtains, accidentally pulled them off of the hooks, and sent himself crashing to the floor cocooned in the velvet. His hulking form gave a muffled whimper.

Haruhi and I noticed that Honey and Mori...Well, Honey didn't seemed confused whatsoever. Yes, he was looking at me with wide eyes, and his head was tilted a bit to the left, but other than that he seemed to be taking it with...expectation, I guess? Haruhi commented on this for me. "Senpai, you're taking this...pretty well."

Honey's brown-eyed stare flickers from me to Haruhi for a moment before he burst into a smile and a fit of childish giggles. "Oh, yeah! Me and Takashi always thought Kosu-chan was a girl, we just weren't sure until now."

Haruhi and I sweat-drop at that. Across the room, the lump of Tamaki wrestles the curtains in an attempt of another tantrum. This means that five out of the seven Host Club members not including me) already knew my secret.

This is turning out better than I expected.

Just as I think this, I notice Hikaru's giving Kaoru a hard look of confusion and suspicion. He crosses his lean arms over his equally-lean chest and says, "You seem to be taking this pretty well, too, Kaoru."

Kaoru head snaps up so fast I'm almost positive he just got whiplash. He just stares at Hikaru for a long, long moment. His golden eyes are so huge it's a wonder how they're not bugging out of his head. "I...I actually knew..."

Hikaru's lips part for a long moment, his eyes wide but not nearly as huge as his brother's. Then his lips pull together tightly. His eyes narrow scarily. "Well, then. Isn't that nice."

"Hikaru-" Kaoru begins in a desperate pleading tone.

"Don't. Just don't." Hikaru snaps like a whip.

The room is filled with a silence so heavy I can almost feel it crushing my chest. Honey has half his head ducked behind Mori's. Kyoya has an eyebrow raised and Haruhi is pulling at the collar of her blazer. Even Tamaki has paused in his tantrum to stare at the two hecklers. Hikaru has his back to Kaoru and the rest of us. I can't even bring myself to look at Kaoru, but the horrible, hollow pit in my stomach is screaming at me that he's about to cry.

Cripes. This is my fault. All my fault. I should've just let Kaoru tell Hikaru in the first place! I know I didn't know it at the time, but their relationship was tearing at the seams already and I'm pretty positive I just ripped it open! I should never have admitted to being a girl in the first place! I should never had come to this _school_ in the first place! Now Hikaru's angry, Kaoru's about to cry and for _cripes_ sake, Tamaki won't stop whimpering like a pathetic puppy!

What is WRONG with me?!

"Hey, Kosu-chan, what's that?"

My head snaps up quickly, earning me a pang of pain at the back of my neck. Honey has one of his little fingers pointed to my forehead. I look up quizzically and, through my limited vision, I can see the five two-and-a-half-inch, bright red bangs poking out from under my wig.

Oh.

I hadn't thought of this.

"It's a wig," Haruhi says before I can even get a syllable out of my mouth. Everyone's gaze, including Hikaru's, turns on her, and her face deadpans slowly. She turns her face in my direction and mutters, "I am so sorry."

"I forgive you."

When my gaze returns forward, Tamaki has somehow managed to silently appear in front of my faster than the speed of light. I jump back three feet. "YOU TAKE THAT WIG OFF NOW!"

Haruhi sighs and steps in front of my in a bit of a protective manner. "Senpai, calm down. She doesn't have to take it off if she doesn't want to."

Tamaki leans over Haruhi to look at me, causing her to duck just a bit. He keeps one of his fingers pointed at my face and his eyes are almost white with fury. "YOU TAKE THAT WIG OFF OR I'LL GET MORI-SENPAI TO!"

Honey gasps and almost stands on Mori's shoulders to cry, "But that would hurt!"

"I'm not doing it," Mori replies curtly. Tamaki sweats down his temple.

Tamaki simmers down from his furious attitude and gives me the most smothering puppy dog-eyes and pouted lip. Cripes, he's good. "Pleeeease? I'm kinda freaking out here..." his words disappear into a pathetic whisper.

I take a deep breath and release it in a long sigh. I turn on my heel and start walking in the direction of the changing rooms. "I'll take it off..."

As I open the pure white door of the changing rooms, I look at the other Hosts from the corner of my eye. Tamaki looked very pleased with himself. Haruhi was glaring at him in annoyance, but for once, he didn't notice. Honey was giggling. Mori was emotionless and Kyoya had his nose buried in his notebook. I couldn't see Hikaru's face. Only his cold, unforgiving back.

And then, making my entire self quench together, the tears glittering in Kaoru's eyes.


	20. The Problem with Yasuchika Part 2

**Fun fact #8: The name 'Kosuke' means 'Rising sun.'**

**Answers: **

White Aura Dragon:** The KaoruxOCxHikaru plot will progess with every chapter. I'm still working it out, myself. **

Vivere Memento: **HECK YES I **_**LOVE**_** I DOCTOR WHO!**

* * *

**NORMAL P.O.V.**

_Knock-Knock_

The seven Hosts in the room snap out of their current phases to turn their gazes to the pale pink door of the music room. Tamaki straightens his posture, fixing the black tie of his uniform whilst putting on his usual charming smile. With a toss of his golden blond bangs, he strides over to the door in ten long steps. "No worries. Probably just another lost customer."

When the leader of the club opens the door, however, the person outside is also the exact opposite.

The teenage brunet flew through the open door, his right leg extended into a deadly kick aimed right at the childish blond sitting atop his cousin's shoulders. Honey pressed his hands down on Mori's shoulder, doing a curving jump over the brunet. The teenager flew through the air a good seven feet before landing on his feet. He quickly span around, his fist extended and his arm bending back to deliver the next blow.

Just as his fist was about to unlikely collide with Honey's face, however, a slender-fingered fist caught it with exact precision.

Haruhi gave the brunet a deadpan but stern look. "Chika, what are you doing?"

"Fighting," Kyoya replied from behind his notebook. "I thought that was obvious."

Haruhi gave him an annoyed glare. She let go of Yasuchika's fist to put her hands on her hips. Honey skips away to go fetch Usa-chan from Mori. "I thought the Animal-Breeding Club was still going on."

"It's cancelled today," Chika replies curtly. He shoves his hand into his pocket, obviously embarrassed for being stopped by the older girl. "The president's sick. I wanted to make sure Mitsukuni's skills were still in check." At Haruhi's look of disbelieving annoyance, he glared and exclaimed, "Well, _someone_ has to do it!"

"We haven't been fighting as often since I enrolled at the University," explains Honey. He had climbed back on Mori's shoulders and was currently snuggling his head against Usa-chan's neck.

Tamaki, still somewhat shaken up by the surprise at the door, gave Chika an incredulous stare. "I thought you and Honey-senpai made amends..."

The look that the younger Haninozuka gave him says otherwise. "The Haninozukas don't 'make-amends.' The only one of us that does that is Mitsukuni, and he doesn't count."

The silence that followed was thick with tension. The disliking between the two Haninozuka brothers hadn't softened a bit since the previous year. Chika's gaze turned to the window, finding the far-off clock tower suddenly very interesting.

"Well, now that you're here, do you want some cake?" Honey skips up to his younger brother, holding a China plate heavy with a towering slice of confetti cake.

Chika's nose crinkles in disgust up at the sweet pastry, and he turns his head away. "No way. I've already told you, I won't let myself be indulged in sweets."

"Aw, come on!" Honey says to Chika in a giggly whine. He picked up the fork on the plate, tears off a chunk of the cake and holds it out to the younger brother's face. "Just one bite!"

"No," Chika scoffs, trying to shove the fork away to no avail.

"One bite!"

"No."

"Just one."

"No."

"Half of one?"

"No."

"Half of half of one?"

"No, Mitsukuni."

Chika was now leaning back intensely. His hands were up, trying to push back the fork that his older brother continued to wave at his mouth. Honey was leaning into him just as intensely as Chika was leaning back, still giggling and coaxing to get Chika to eat it.

Suddenly, Honey lost his footing and went tumbling into his younger brother.

"Senpai!" Haruhi yells, holding a hand out in the brothers' direction.

But it's too late. Honey's pushed Chika down to the floor with his body weight. The plate of cake had tipped forward and splattered against the pure white of Chika's blazer.

"Oh..." Honey observed his younger brother's ruined uniform. He gives a big but tentative smile as he pulls himself up to his feet, offering a hand of assistance. "Sorry, Chika."

"Whatever," Chika pushes away Honey's hand and pulls himself up to his feet. He looks down at the front of his blazer in disgust as several drops of icing slide from his blazer to splatter against the floor. He sighs and moves past his brother in the direction of the changing rooms. "You have extra uniforms in here, right? I'll just change into one of those, if you don't mind."

"Go right ahead," Tamaki tries to say with his perfect elegance.

But before he can even get the last syllable out, Haruhi is extending her arm out to Chika, screaming, "WAIT! KOSUKE'S IN THERE!"

Too late.

Chika's already opened the door.

And he and Kosuke are staring at each other.

* * *

**KOSUKE'S P.O.V.**

I stare at the boy in front of me. He's about two inches shorter than me, with golden-brown hair that matches his (glasses-covered) eyes perfectly. He's a bit lanky, his form covered in the same uniform that the rest of the Hosts wear (though I notice the splatter of icing on his blazer). He's very familiar, and it takes me a moment to remember that he's a boy in my class.

And yes, he did just walk in on my changing, but luckily, I'm not exposed whatsoever. I've already changed into my ripped jeans and gray tank top, and my bright red hair was slung across my right shoulder in a loose, messy braid. He'd just walked in when I was pulling on my blue-gray and steel-blue button-up shirt. Right now, I only have it half-on, hanging around my elbows with my shoulders bare.

The boy just stares at me in utter silence. His eyes are wide and his lips are parted in surprise. I slowly and awkwardly pull my shirt over my shoulders, and the boy's lips close together and his face dusts over in a pinkish hue.

The awkward tension is shattered when Tamaki-with his eyes squeezed tight-slaps his hands over the boy's eyes. "REVERT YOUR EYES, BOY!" Before the boy can retort, Tamaki pulls him away.

Haruhi jumps into the scene, looking like she's about to pull the boy away and slam the door shut to conceal me from sight. She sighs when she sees that no harm's done and turns in the direction of the others. "It's OK. She's dressed."

She rises one of her chocolate brown eyebrows in a silent question, and I give her a nod of approval. She holds out the door for me, and bracing myself for whatever Tamaki-induced explosion is to come, I step out.

Sure enough, after several long moments of utter, unbearable silence, Tamaki is right in front of me with a face of pure disbelief and anger. "HOW ON EARTH DID YOU PASS OF AS A BOY?! YOU LOOK ABSOLUTELY NOTHING LIKE A BOY! AND WHAT ON EARTH DID YOU DO WITH YOUR EYES?! DON'T TELL ME THOSE ARE NATURAL!"

I look past his shoulder at the others. Haruhi is glaring at Tamaki whilst shaking her head. Kyoya glances up at me for a long moment before returning to his notebook. Honey just hums and Mori does nothing. Hikaru looks unsure of how to react, his eyes and facial expressions flickering from anger at his brother to shock at my appearance. From the corner of my vision, I see a bright red glow, and when I turn to look at Kaoru, he's spun himself around like a toy top in a split second.

Then I see the boy. Mori has his hands on his ears, I guess so that he wouldn't hear what Tamaki was yelling. The boy just continues to stare at me, his face fifty shades of pink and red by now.

"I apologize if I frightened you. My name is Kosuke Nakahara."

The boy doesn't reply. He actually doesn't do anything. He's as still as a statue of ice. Not moving. Not blinking. I don't think he's even breathing.

"...May I ask what your name is?"

The boy's lips part, and his voice comes out in a quivering stutter. "Y-Y-Y-Yasu-"

"This is Yasuchika, my younger brother!" Honey suddenly jumps into the picture, one of his arms holding Usa-chan close as he flings the other around Yasuchika's neck so that he's somewhat swinging off of him.

Yasuchika is positively blood red by now. He's obviously humiliated to be introduced by his older(?) brother in such a way. They actually do look like brothers, come to think of it. Their eyes and hair are different colors, but I can see the likeness in their ears and noses and the shape of their eyes. Though, now, seeing him closer, I notice the big blob of frosting and icing on the front of his blazer and fight the urge to raise an eyebrow.

"It's nice to meet you," I say with the most polite smile I can muster.

Yasuchika pushes Honey's arm off of him. The older Haninozuka doesn't seem offended whatsoever and bounds back to Mori, pulling him by the arm to go fetch more cake. Yasuchika clears his throat and finally says, "It's nice to meet you, too." There's a few moments of tentative silence before Yasuchika's eyes widen and he rounds on the Hosts in angry accusation. "Wait a second, _why is there a girl in your changing rooms?_"

The others are still forming hurried excuses in their minds when Kyoya quickly steps beside me and says, "Kosuke's just a friend of the club and she visits every day. She was in the changing rooms because she accidentally spilled some tea on her shirt."

And Mori, my good friend Mori, steps beside me to follow along, saying, "Sorry about that" as if the 'tea' incident was his fault.

"It's perfectly fine," I say. I wave my hand at him for good measure. "Apology accepted."

Tamaki leaps behind me from absolute nowhere and, setting both of his hands on my shoulders whilst tilting me sideways a bit so he can be seen, gives Yasuchika a big smile. "Well, I think we should all be going home now, yes?"

Haruhi walks up to me and takes my hand. "I'll walk you out to the car, Kosuke. Let's go," she says as she pulls me to the door.

I just barely catch a glimpse of Kaoru's back, his head turned in Hikaru's direction.

* * *

The next day, I decide to talk to Hikaru about Kaoru. It's the least I could do, after completely destroying what little relationship they had left, right?

No.

The least I could do was move halfway across the country.

So, after the customers had left, and I had changed out of my wig, contacts, and uniform, I approach Hikaru as he stands facing the window with the best view of the clock tower. Today hadn't been good for the Hitachiins. In class, Hikaru stuck his nose so much in his book that Kaoru was blocked out entirely. At lunch, Hikaru made a point to sit on the opposite side of the cafeteria. Just now, whilst they were Hosting, Hikaru excused himself from their customers every five seconds, saying he needed to get more tea or that there was something in his eye. I tried all day never to look at Kaoru, not to be rude, but knowing that I wouldn't be able to see the look on his face.

"Hikaru," I say as I approach. His widened eyes tear away from the clock tower to look at me. "I need to talk to you about-"

_Knock-Knock_

I stop at the knocking at the door. The others hear it as well. Haruhi stops picking up the China teacups at table four. Honey ceases in stuffing cake in his mouth and Mori looks up at the door. Kyoya's hand stops writing in his notebook and Tamaki cuts another one of his speeches short.

I sigh inwardly and walk to the door, grabbing the golden knob in my fingers and pull it open.

And the person outside is Yasuchika.

"KOSUKE, DUCK!" Tamaki screams at me the second he sees who it is. I give him a look of absolute confusion before turning back to Yasuchika.

He now has the big blob of icing and frosting cleaned from his blazer and his uniform looks like it has-oddly-been pressed and ironed twenty times. He's holding a lovely bouquet of dewy Calla lilies, bright butter-cream daffodils, and fresh crocus flowers in his right hand. He looks very stiff and I can see his hair prickle when I turn back to him.

"Hello, Mr. Yasuchika," I greet him with a smile. I step aside to let him in the room. "You're here to see Honey, yes?"

"Er...no," Yasuchika stutters out. He face is a rosy pink color and I can feel stifling heat radiating from him three feet away. I wait for him to explain why he's here, but he doesn't seem to realize it until thirty seconds later. "I...uh...I'm here...ugh...I'm here to see you."

I stare down at the bouquet of flowers he's now extending in my direction. Behind me, I hear Kyoya hum and comment, "How interesting."


	21. The Problem with Yasuchika Part 3

**Fun fact #9: If you read this story just as I published it, you may have noticed that the summary originally said that this was a KaoruxOCxHikaruxKYOYA story. This idea was dropped for several reasons that will later be explained.**

**From now on, I will respond to your comments, with or without questions.**

BlackCrowsFrostDragons:** Don't worry I'm continuing! I'll try to upload as fast as I can, but between my other story and school, chapters may be a bit delayed.**

bored411:** Thanks. I tried to make the Yasuchika-crushin'-on-Kosuke as unexpected as possible, despite the fact that the episode's called "The Problem with Yasuchika" ^_^;**

Vivere Memento: **WHOVIANS FOR LIFE *explosion high five* Read on to see if we'll see that jeaslousy ;-)**

MiraclesVeemon: **Mmmmm-Hm**

TryingNotToFall:** Yeeeeeeeeah~! XD**

xFosteRx**: Hm.**

Guest:ಠ**_**ಠ **OK, dude. OK.**

* * *

**KOSUKE'S P.O.V. **

Needless to say, I have never felt so awkward in my life. Every single atom in the air was packed with heavy silence. I now sit at table three, my back as straight as a pin and my stiff fingers holding the bouquet of flowers tightly. Yasuchika is smiling, though he, too, can feel the awkwardness in the air, almost stifling. The rest of the Hosts sit and stand across from us, not a single one smiling except Tamaki and Honey. Haruhi looks somewhat worried. Tamaki's smile is, for once in his life, fixed. Kyoya has his notebook tucked under his arm and is staring at the two of us through the shining lens of his glasses. Mori, of course, is emotionless. Honey's smile is real, but his eyes are flickering with a bit of confusion and curiosity. Hikaru, of course, still has his back to Kaoru with a steel face of ever-burning anger. Kaoru himself, to my confusion, no longer seems tragically sad. He actually seems...rather annoyed. I guess I would eventually be, too, if my brother were refusing to speak to me just for not telling him a secret.

Yasuchika coughs once to clear his throat before reaching out for the China teapot on the coffee table. "More tea?"

My cup's already three-quarters full, but I appreciate his effort to break the ice.

"Yes, please, I'd appreciate it," I tell him with a momentary smile. He fills the cup up nearly to the brim.

"Sooooo..." Tamaki began, moving from his position of leaning against the arm of the opposite sofa to sit next to Haruhi. He smiles at the younger Haninozuka with mirth, and says, "Kosuke, huh?"

At this, I flush pink, Yasuchika flushes red, and Kaoru goes bloody.

"Yes," Yasuchika just replies curtly, crossing his hands over his knees.

"Well, you definitely look cute together," Tamaki tries to compliment. This only earns a jab in the ribs from Haruhi, but only a small one, since she's not sure if that was the wrong thing to say, either.

"Thank you," I give Tamaki a half-smile. Yasuchika seems to take this as a good sign and sits up straighter.

Kaoru steps forward from behind the sofa, grabs the China teapot very roughly, and excuses himself to go make more even though it's still half-full.

"Well, as much as you look compatible," Kyoya's voice speaks up from behind Haruhi. "I'm afraid Kosuke's in a bit of a..." He pauses, looking to the others for suggestions, but all he gets are a few hand rolls. "..._fix_ right now. Now's not a good time for her to date."

Yasuchika frowns at this and turns to me. "Really?"

"I...wouldn't label it as a _fix_, and I don't mean to offend you in any way-" I glance up at Kyoya, who's giving me a hard, icy look from behind his glasses. "Yes. I'm in a fix."

"Oh...um..." Yasuchika, his face a mix of disappointment and shyness, stands up and brushes nonexistent dust from his pants. "I understand. But I...don't suppose I could come and visit every now and then?"

He's killing me. He sounds so hopeful and disappointed at the same time. I glance at Kyoya from the corner of my eye and see he's about to object, so I quickly blurt out, "Of course you can! Please do."

Yasuchika smiles at me in thanks. After a few goodbyes and smiles, he's walking out of the door with a bounce in his step.

Only then does Kaoru return with the teapot, setting it on the table so roughly it nearly breaks.

* * *

So, for the next few days, I form a routine for school days. I attend classes, hurry to Music Room #3, change into my regular clothes, and greet Yasuchika at the door. A short time of chatting and exchanging pleasantries would follow. I learn a lot of things about Yasuchika. For one thing, he's very strict about his family regulations. But another thing is that he's very much like Honey, he just hides it very well. All I have to do is ask how the Animal Breeding Club is going and he smiles brightly and goes on and on about their incubating chicken eggs or how their rooster has grown sick and needs medical attention. I don't mind a bit, though I am very uncomfortable. For one thing, I have never dated a guy before. Ever. I've never had any romantic involvement with guys whatsoever. Yasuchika is very kind and caring, but I just don't know how to act around him.

The others have mixed emotions about Yasuchika's new visits. Mori, of course, is perfectly fine. Tamaki is ecstatic and keeps going on about how cute me and Yasuchika are together. Honey's happy to see his brother every day, despite the fact that Yasuchika shuns him most of the time. Kyoya seems miffed that, for once, I'm doing something against his permission. Hikaru doesn't seem to notice very much. He spends most of his time glaring out the window nowadays. Haruhi isn't as worried as she is about Yasuchika and me than she's worried about Hikaru and Kaoru's behavior. Kaoru is getting angrier by the second. The second the doors closed for the day, he stormed off to the corner table to stare at the corner of the wall menacingly. Eventually, they started leaving the Club at different times. Kaoru leaves first, then Hikaru. They ride home in separate limousines.

The only problem is trying to talk to Hikaru about Kaoru. Between Host Club hours, the time I spend with Yasuchika, and Yasuchika's new promise to walk me to my car every day, I have absolutely no chance to talk to him about the situation at hand.

One day, however, Yasuchika doesn't come to Music Room #3 after club hours. I wait at the door for ten minutes before Honey, who is currently in the middle of devouring a cherry-chocolate cake as fast as he could, suddenly remembers and tells me that Yasuchika had to stay at the Animal Breeding Club later than usual. Apparently, one of the chicks has stopped walking and everyone in the club felt obliged to stay while the veterinarian examined its leg.

So, I seize this as my chance. Kaoru had left the minute the club had ended for the day, looking like someone had slapped him and offended him at the same time. No later has Honey told me of Yasuchika's reason for absence then Hikaru steps past me and out the doors.

I follow him at once. I have to run a bit to catch up (he was walking a lot quicker lately), calling, "Hikaru! Hikaru, please wait!"

He stops and turns around, once again looking a bit surprised to see me. I slow down two feet away from him and say, "I need to tell you about Kaoru-"

The minute his brother's name leaves my mouth, Hikaru's eyes narrow and he turns to continue walking. I hurry to follow him. "I don't want to talk about him."

"Hikaru, with all due respect, you don't understand-"

"My brother lied to me. I understand perfectly."

"Er...I don't mean to be rude, but Kaoru didn't technically lie. He just didn't tell yo-"

"Same difference. My point is, I don't want to talk about him. I don't like to talk about people I don't trust."

"Hikaru, once again, not to be rude, but don't you think this is a bit childish? Kaoru is your brother, not just an everyday person-"

"My point is that I don't care about him any-"

_"Hikaru!"_

I run forward to stand in front of Hikaru. He stops in surprise, his jaw clamped shut and his amber eyes wide.

I'm actually glaring at Hikaru right now. I've never felt so angry with someone before. My fists are tight at my sides and my breaths are coming out hard and hot. The lines on my HRD are tall and fast. I take a deep breath, letting my fingers fall out from their fists, and say, ever so slowly:

"Hikaru, I apologize if anything I'm about to say is rude and/or offends you. _Kaoru is your brother. _Just because he didn't tell you one little secret doesn't mean he's betrayed you. It doesn't mean _anything. _The only reason Kaoru didn't tell you I was a girl is because I _asked him not to. _So if you're going to blame anyone, please, by all means, blame _me_. Blame me for _everything_. In my own opinion, you're lucky to have someone as trustworthy and loyal as Kaoru as your brother! You shouldn't just shun him away for something he did right!"

A heavy pause, and then:

"Please. You don't know how much it hurts Kaoru for you not to talk to him. I realize you may be angry, but to say you don't trust or care about him...Please. Forgive him. That's all I ask."

Hikaru looks absolutely flabbergasted. His eyes are wide, his eyebrows are almost touching his hairline, and his lips are parted in shock. His cheeks are tinged pink, but I simply assume it's from guilty embarrassment. Finally, his lips close and he gulps heavily. Finally, he says, "Thank you. For telling me. And I'm sorry for being angry."

"Apology accepted, but it's not for me," I tell him with a small, relieved smile.

For once in the past few days, he returns it.

* * *

Needless to say, Hikaru and Kaoru's relationship goes from destroyed and hopeless to back to perfectly normal the very next day. Everyone's happy to see the two of them together again. Tamaki didn't even explode-well, explode _horribly_-when they put a thumbtack on his seat during club hours. They are back to being mirror images, speaking in unison, finishing each others' sentences, and they're now pulling off their Brotherly-Love act flawlessly.

The very next day, however, Yasuchika doesn't appear again. I ask Honey if there's another emergency. He says he hasn't heard of any and doesn't know why Yasuchika isn't showing. I wait another twenty minutes before I decide to just leave. I pulled my book bag over my shoulder, making sure all my clothes were inside, and waved everyone goodbye for the weekend before I left out of the front doors.

I had just turned the corner when I heard quick, hurried footsteps following me. Five seconds later, I heard someone calling, "Kosuke! Kosuke, wait up!"

I stop and turn around. Kaoru's running towards me, looking both relieved and utterly happy at the same time. He stops in front of me and gives me the happiest smile I've ever seen on him.

"Hikaru told me what you said. To him, about me, I mean. And I just wanted to say thanks. For saying that." He says, rubbing the back of his neck shyly.

"It was no trouble," I assure him with a small smile. With a more sheepish smile, I add, "It was my fault anyway."

"Still...It really helped. Thanks. I just wish that there was something else I could do for you."

"It's perfectly fine. And you don't need to...Kaoru, if I may ask, what do you mean by _else_?"

Kaoru freezes, like a deer and headlights. His amber eyes are wide and his pale lips are clamped shut. His eyes then dart to the right, and he gives a sheepish frown. "I...noticed that Chika was making you uncomfortable, so I...may or may not have told him to give you some space."

"..."

"..."

"...Oh."

"..."

"...He wasn't offended, was he?"

"No, I don't think so. I told him that you were really busy, and that you had a problem going on at school-don't worry, I didn't tell him you were a girl-and he said he understood. I'm pretty sure he was telling the truth."

"That was very thoughtful of you, Kaoru. I appreciate it."

At first, he just nods. Then he smirks. Then he smiles. Then laughter begins to bubble through his lips. In a matter of moments, he's keeled over, laughing uncontrollably. His voice echoes off the walls and rings in my ears.

At first, I just stare at him in confusion and worry, wondering why on earth he's doubled over in front of me, laughing like a hyena. I then realize how much there is to laugh about: My coming to Ouran dressed as a boy, causing so much trouble in the process without even trying, admitting to being a girl and just causing more trouble.

So, I can't help it when laughter begins to bubble through my mouth. I try to stifle it behind my hand, but soon, I'm doubled over just like Kaoru. We just stand there, laughing uncontrollably, like we had no problems in the world...

**Soooooo. There. I hope you guys are happy now that I've updated. **

**In the end, Yasuchika's crushing on Kosuke wasn't as significant as I originally planned. It we more of a push to get the already-moving stone rolling. **

**Hope you liked this chapter, though. I'm sorry I'm not updating as soon as you guys want, but I have a lot on my plate right now.**

**Once again, complaints and praise are treated equally. Especially episode suggestions. I love 'em.**

**~LunarisAmor**


	22. The Host Club in Concert! Part 1

**Fun fact #10: Kosuke's heart condition is closest to **_Paroxysmal supra-ventricular tachycardia _**(PSVT)**

MiraclesVeemon**: Yeeeah they can be evil. Much less now than they were back then, if you know what I mean.**

Vivere Memento**: Yeah, I thought that making Kaoru reacting to Yasuchika and Kosuke would basically be copying how Hikaru reacted to Haruhi and her classmate (can't remember his name.) I try to make this story as original as possible.**

bored411**: Yes, Yasuchika knows Kosuke's a girl. He only knows her as a girl. He has no idea that she's posing as a boy.**

BlackCrowsFrostDragons**: I'm planning to make this fic around 30 or so episodes long. I'll see if I can't fit your suggestion in later ^3^**

BehindThisFacade15**: Thank you very much :). I was actually very upset when they cut off the series at 26 episodes, as opposed to the 83 chapters in the manga.**

CeciliawillsayHYPER**: Here ya go!**

Guest**: Sorry, but when do I mention 'changing in pairs?' ^_^ Yes, I love the twins too. That's why a made this fanfiction~!**

XxanimeaddictxX**: Sorry to hear that. I started three weeks back...And just for the record, Sasuke, YANDERES RULE!**

**0000000000000000**

**KOSUKE'S P.O.V.**

_"...Bluer than the ocean currents,_

_Greener than the rolling hills_

_Darker than the twilight sky,_

_and brighter than your burning will._

_I don't know if you've ever seen them,_

_But when I see your flawless face,_

_The first thing I've ever noticed_

_Is your eyes..."_

As the chorus continued to describe the anonymous girl(s) eyes (shining, beautiful, starry), I press the 'pause' button off of my phone, pulling the right earphone from my ear. Beside me, Haruhi pulls the left one out of hers. "Well, they sound good." She sits up a bit to adjust her hunter-green jumper, which is several sizes too big for her and keeps bundling around her neck and wrists.

"They're singing it tonight," I say, scrolling through my gallery to show her the picture of tonight's playlist.

It was yesterday when Tamaki told us that we were all going to a live band concert the following evening, no questions asked or taken, as he had somehow caught possession of eight back-stage passes. The band is named Accidental Infatuation, one of the top-ten boy bands in Tokyo, according to the local music channel. I hadn't heard any more than four notes of any of their albums, so I downloaded all three over the weekend. They_ are _good, I'll admit. Unfortunately, there's a 90% chance (according to Kyoya) that more than half of our customers would be there. As we would be sitting together, it's very likely that they would notice Haruhi and I's girly appearances. So, we would both be forced to go as boys. Haruhi in a white T-shirt, shark tooth necklace, hunter green jumper, faded jeans, and black sneakers. Me in a blue denim jacket, plaid burgundy button-down, gold thimble necklace, black pants, and black dress shoes.

Kyoya, Tamaki and the twins had picked us up from our homes earlier. Honey and Mori would be waiting for us at the stadium. As I peer out the window of the limousine, I can see the slight haze of bright light from the concert stadium through the tall city buildings.

"I honestly don't see why we're going," Kaoru huffs across from me. He tosses the end of his plaid scarf over the shoulder of his black leather jacket.

"Yeah, why are we going to a concert for a band we've never heard about?" Hikaru agrees next to him. He crosses his arms over his chest, crinkling the material of his grey cotton hoodie. Kaoru mimics his movements.

Two seats away, Tamaki leans in to glower at the twins with a deep, angry frown. "I told our customers we would see them at the concert! Hosts keep their promises!"

"Correction," Kaoru begins slowly.

"_You_ keep promises," Hikaru ends in the same town.

"Which you choose to involve us in," they both finish in perfect unison.

Tamaki looks as if he's about to burst at them once more, only for Kyoya to speak up from behind his notebook before he can. "In the twins' defense, Tamaki, you should have consulted us before you made plans."

"Consulted _you_, you mean," the twins reply together.

"Of course that's what I mean," Kyoya says curtly. The flash in his glasses vanishes to show his smoky gray eyes, trained solely on his notebook. "By the time I return home, I'll have missed an hour and thirty-six minutes of work. I'll have to make up for it when I get home."

Haruhi leans towards me to whisper into my ear, "He's just angry he's not making any money from this."

We both chuckle a bit at this. Almost at once, however, we cease in chokes when Kyoya glares at us icily.

The limousine finally pulls to a stop a few moments later. Even through the dimmed windows, bright light filters into the limousine. I turn around to look outside. Hundreds of people, almost all of them teenage girls, are pouring through the open doors in tight groups.

One by one, the six of us file out of the limousine and step onto the pavement. Some of our usual Host Club customers catch sight of us as they pour inside and wave excitedly. We return the gestures politely. Finally, after Tamaki bids the limousine driver goodbye, he pulls the collar of his white down-vest higher and proclaims, "Onward, gentlemen!"

We follow obediently, the twins grumbling under their breaths.

We just barely manage to enter the foyer together without being separated. Though it's almost impossible, we catch sight of a tall, raven-haired figure standing next to a smaller, golden-haired one.

"Mori-senpai! Honey-senpai! Over here!" Tamaki calls.

Mori and Honey turn to us with a smirk and a beaming smile. Honey is bouncing on his heels in excitement as we approach. "This is exciting, isn't it, Takashi?"

"Mm-hm."

"We've been waiting for you guys for a while!" Honey continues, turning back to us. "The band manager wants us to meet him now, since they'll have to leave right after the show. C'mon, me and Takashi will show you the way!"

The six of us follow the duo difficultly through the crowd. The twins continue to grumble as Tamaki whines and bubbles in excitement.

Five minutes, three staircases, a run-in with anxious equipment managers, and one security-guard later, we finally meet with the manager, Mr. Watanabe. He's almost as tall as Tamaki, with glossy black hair and dark blue eyes. He constantly straightens his pinstripe suit in his nervousness. He jumps when we approach and stammers as he introduces himself. "Oh, hello. You must be the backstage guests." He reaches into the pocket of his pinstripe suit and pulls out an already-stained handkerchief and wipes it across his forehead. "I'm sorry, I get so nervous before shows."

"No apology necessary," Tamaki says charmingly as he takes Mr. Watanabe's hand in a handshake. From the slight grimace and twitch of his nose, Tamaki's made a mistake. Mr. Watanabe's hand is very sweaty. "...I'm Tamaki Suoh. These are Haruhi Fujioka, Kosuke Nakahara, Hikaru and Kaoru Hitachiin, Takashi Morinozuka, Mitsukuni Haninozuka, and Kyoya Ootori."

"Pleasure to meet you all," Mr. Watanabe tries to wave at us, but he more or less just raises his hand and curls his fingers inward. "The boys are in here, follow me."

He leads us about ten or so feet forward, past a drawn curtain.

The eight band members are sitting in a makeshift lounge. As panicked crew members run to and fro, the eight of them stand and sit around, some chatting and some carefully munching on the veggie plates laid out on the white-top tables.

"Let me introduce you to them," Mr. Watanabe gives us a twitchy smile before saying, "This is Bishamon."

Bishamon, the lead singer, is sitting in a lounge chair to the right. His skin is ghostly pale, with spiky black hair and eyes the color of mahogany. A blue scarf is slung across his neck sloppily, atop a black tank top, transparent white vest, somewhat tight jeans, and graffiti sneakers. He's staring down at the notepad in his lap even more intently than Kyoya looks at his notebook. I can see tons of note-filled measures in neat scrawl on the paper.

"Hmuh," he says quietly with a flick of a wave to us.

Mr. Watanabe rolls his dark blue eyes before saying, "There's Genmei."

Genmei, the bass player, is splayed across the leather couch, fast asleep. A mop of curly, dirty blond hair is slapped on top of his head, complimenting his slightly sun-kissed skin. He's fast asleep, so I can't tell what color his eyes are. He's clad in red-and-black plaid jeans and a long-sleeved black shirt with three necklaces around his neck. Bishamon gives him a prompt kick in the leg before turning back to his paper. Genmei jumps awake just long enough to wave at us before closing his eyes again.

Mr. Watanabe simply sighs. "That's Ike."

Ike, the lead guitarist, is nibbling on some of the carrots laid out on the table. He's Bishamon's older brother. They have the same spiky black hair, but Ike's eyes are dark green in color and his skin is considerably tanner. He's also dressed more casually, in jeans, sneakers, a blue T-shirt and black fingerless gloves. He waves at us with his free hand.

"That there is Kobo."

Kobo, the back-up singer, is also at the table of food, but instead of just simply nibbling, he stuffs several baby tomatoes and carrots into his mouth at once. He's shorter than Ike but ever-so-slightly taller than Genmei. His brown hair is somewhat long and shaggy, covering one of his dark gold eyes. He's as pale as Bishamon, with a small freckle under his visible eye. He's wearing a black T-shirt with the sleeves ripped off, designed a bright gold eagle on the front. His jeans are ripped and baggy, and he's wearing studded combat boots that match the band on his left wrist.

"Stop eating so much!" Mr. Watanabe scolds him. Kobo replies with a role of his eyes. "How many times do I have to tell you! Ugh...Sorry. That's Ryuu."

Ryuu, the special effects artist, is sitting on a lounge chair identical to Bishamon's, but with a small folded desk pulled in front of him. A laptop is open on top of it. I can tell it's a PineappleTop, like Kyoya's, but the logo is covered in three weapon-yielding silhouettes. Multicolored lights are flashing, pumping, and strobing from the screen quickly as his fingers flick across the keyboard. I can just barely tell that Ryuu's hair is pale brown in all of the color, and the light shields any view of his eyes. The neck of his black button-up is so high that it brushes against his cheeks.

"Don't mind him. He's always staring at that computer. Anyway, that's Minoru."

Minoru, the drummer, is kneeling next to the table. His nimble fingers are holding onto his drumsticks, tapping the wood of the table in an upbeat rhythm. His crystalline eyes are blank as he does so, and he manages to toss his blonde bangs out of his eyes every few moments. His white tank top is dyed red at the bottom and his baggy pants are tied with a studded black leather belt.

"That there is Toshi."

Toshi, the keyboard pianist, is sitting next to Minoru with a notebook open in front of him. Several pages have been torn out and folded into paper cranes. His crystalline eyes concentrate hard as he folds another carefully. He's the only one in the group with died hair, a bright orange-red color, shoulder-length with long bangs. He has a scruffy white T-shirt on, slightly frayed at the edges, sloppily stamped with a picture of a silver skull. His jeans are heavily ripped.

"And, finally, that's Emori."

Emori, the hammered dulcimer player, is the only one who seemed to be willing to greet us. He's simply standing off to the side, smiling at us kindly. His hair is smooth and sleek, chocolate brown streaked with black. His eyes are a bright, bright blue, and his skin almost as pale as mine. He's dressed most casually, in a simple blue-gray T-shirt, blue jeans, and brown sneakers. A simple brown leather band is around his wrist.

"We have a good half-hour before show time. Why don't you guys get to know each other?" Mr. Watanabe smiles at us kindly.

Beads of sweat roll down all of our faces. We thought that the band members would at least be a _little_ more enthusiastic about meeting us, and here they are, goofing around as much as they could. Still, Tamaki probably spent a lot of money and time getting us these passes, so why not try?

* * *

Well, for the next twenty minutes, all goes well. We have a lot more in with the band members than we thought. Mori and Ike exchange pleasantries every now and then. The twins are steadily asking Minoru unnecessary questions, but he doesn't seem to mind. Kyoya is showing Ryuu some new special effects available for downloading. Ryuu has stars in his eyes the entire time. Kobo and Honey are having a very interesting talk about cake, it seems. Toshi and Tamaki are discussing piano music. Bishamon and Haruhi are quietly talking together. Haruhi seems like she doesn't want to disturb him too much. Emori and I are just talking about anything that comes up, really. Genmei lays asleep and forgotten on the couch.

A make-up artist enters the 'room' to say that it's time for last-minute wardrobe corrections. The band members excuse themselves to apply (Genmei has to be dragged). As the rest of us sit around, waiting, Tamaki strikes up a conversation with Mr. Watanabe and asks him about setting up shows. Mr. Watanabe seems to calm down a bit and begins to show us around the stage to show how everything works. Eventually, he comes to the fly system on the opposite side of the stage. As the band members come out to prepare themselves on their instruments, Mr. Watanabe shows us how the ropes work.

Mr. Watanabe eventually finishes explaining how everything works and turns to smile at Tamaki. "Want to try?"

Tamaki lets out a joyous gasp in answer.

"Here, try this one," Mr. Watanabe points to a rope near the middle. "It makes the lights rotate on the rod."

"Alright," Tamaki reaches out and takes the lever in his hand.

Mr. Watanabe jumps a mile high. "NOT THAT ONE! THAT MAKES THE LIGHTS-"

Too late. Tamaki's already squeezed the lever.

Needless to say...

...We get a problem on our hands.

**Hey theeeere! It's me!**

**So, you guys have been asking for the next episode already, so here it is.**

**I also have a question I want to ask you guys. I was reading Mary Sue Traits on , and I noticed that Kosuke may or may not apply for a few of these traits.**

**So, the question is: Do you consider Kosuke to be a Mary-Sue?**

**All answers are treated equally.**

**~LunarisAmor**


	23. The Host Club in Concert! Part 2

**Fun fact #11: There was a Soul Eater reference in the last chapter.**

BlackCrowsFrostDragons:** Thank ya :)**

The Yoshinator:** Thank you. I appreciate it.**

Toboe's Soulmate:** Yeah, sorry, I forgot to give you credit XD And thanks for the compliment!**

TaikiAtami:** Huh. o_o**

Robin4thewin:** Yeah, you're right. Everyone's opinion is different, but thanks for the reassurance! **

bored411:** Cliffhanger explained ;). And thanks for the nice answer :)**

Guest(1): **Thank you! And I guess I have a bit of a schedule...? Usually, I work on my Adventure Time story when I get home, then work on this story after supper. I usually take 1-2 day breaks between story chapters. This is when I work on my future fanfiction for...meh, spoilers.**

ShadowFire:** HERE YA GO!**

Guest(2): **Thanks! :)**

* * *

**KOSUKE'S P.O.V.**

So, the lever that Tamaki used didn't rotate the lights...

...It made them lower onto the stage.

Now, I'm not going to tell you exactly _how_ it happened to them-I honestly don't know myself-but I will tell you what happened to the band members when the lights crashed down on them. Genmei had been hit hard in the head, and is now lying unconcious on the couch with a icebag over the lump (I guess this isn't too bad, since he sleeps all the time anyway.) Ike's guitar-picking wrist had been sprained severely. Kobo had received a heavy concussion and is now laying down next to Genmei, as he couldn't stand on his own two feet without toppling over on himself. Ryuu had broken three of his fingers, rendering them useless for special effects. Minoru had broken his arm and is now nursing it in a cast. Toshi's ulna bone had been fractured severely. Emori had pulled several tendons in his shoulder. The only one who hadn't been affected is Bishamon, and...uh...well, to put it simply, he's not too happy that all of his band members are useless.

Same goes for Mr. Watanabe. Very much. His behavior of nervous and jittery has taken a severe turn to furious anger. His face is beet red as he yells at us, his glossy black hair as straight as porcupine spines. His eyes look like they're about to pop out of his skull at any moment. Tamaki cowers behind Kyoya and Haruhi pitifully as Mr. Watanabe continues to explode at him. Honey looks like he's about to cry.

"TWO YEARS! IT TOOK TWO YEARS TO ORGANIZE THIS TOUR AND YOU'VE RUINED IT! DO YOU KNOW WHAT I'LL HAVE TO DO NOW?! I'LL HAVE TO GIVE EVERY SINGLE PERSON IN THE AUDIENCE A REFUND, AND THEN I'LL HAVE TO GET THE LIGHTS FIXED, AND **THEN** I'LL HAVE TO REPLACED ALL THE DAMAGED INSTRUMENTS! NOT TO MENTION THE HOSPITAL BILLS! WE CAN'T AFFORD THAT! WE DID THAT THREE MONTHS AGO AND WE JUST BARELY GOT AWAY WITH IT! YOU'D BETTER BE ABLE TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT THIS, OR YOU'LL BE IN JAIL UNTIL ARMAGEDDON!"

Tamki seems to try and talk, but an odd sound comes out instead, like a mouse being stepped out.

Kyoya steps in before anything explodes in our faces, looking as calm as ever. "Mr. Watanabe, I'm sure we can pay for all the damages Tamaki's responsible for. There's no need to worry."

"KID, YOU'RE RICH, BUT YOU'RE NOT _THAT_ RICH!"

"Surely there's _something_ we can do for you," Tamaki finally says quietly. "At least to lessen the debt just a bit?"

"UNLESS YOU HAVE SOMEONE TO REPLACE MY BAND MEMBERS, I SERIOUSLY DOUBT IT!"

Tamaki quickly turns to Kyoya in a desperate frenzy, tears leaking down his face and staining his green hoodie. "Please tell me you have someone..."

"What do you take me for, Tamaki?"

Tamaki sighs in desperation, then puts a finger to his chin and deep thought. We all await his decision. "OK...we're millions of yen-deep in debt, we can't afford to pay it, we have no one to replace the band members, and if we don't figure something out, we'll all go to jail."

"Wouldn't it just be you that goes to jail?" the twins ask, not teasingly but actually sincerely. "We didn't do anything."

Tamaki looks up to glare at the twins, but his narrowed eyes almost instantly go wide instead. He stares at the twins for a long moment, then to the rest of us, one by one. I can see the gears turning in his head, and I don't like it one bit. Tamaki, please don't say something insane, oh _cripes_, please don't...

"I know!" Tamaki smiles extravagantly and turns to Mr. Watanabe with perfect grace. "_We'll_ replace the band members!"

...Tamaki.

Tamaki, what are you doing?

As the rest of us gawk at him in apallment and anger, the twins glare icily at him as they step in front of him quickly, amber eyes ablaze. "What did we say about involving us in your promises?!"

Tamaki gives the twins the most desperate puppy-dog eyes I've seen on him yet. The twins seem unfazed, however, glaring back at him. "Is it too much to ask for a little bit of help here?"

"...YES!"

Mr. Watanabe, his face now slightly cooled down to a faint cherry-red color, takes a deep breath and says, "Stepping in for the band members will make up for a fourth of the debt, and I'll drop any legal charges."

"We accept!"

"_YOU_ ACCEPT!"

Tamaki ignores the twins' snapping and turns to Kyoya with a long, pointing finger. "Kyoya can obviously take Ryuu's place as special effects artist. I'll replace Toshi as the keyboard pianist. But we still need to replace the others." He turns to Mori, Honey, Haruhi, the twins and I. "You all! What can you do?"

"Takashi can replace Ike as lead guitarist," Honey pipes up excitedly. Mori nods in agreement. "I can do a tamborine, too!"

"OK, so that takes care of Ike and Kobo, I guess," Tamaki murmurs under his breath, ticking off his fingers. He turns to Haruhi with a big smile. "And what can you do, my precious little girl?"

Haruhi huffs at her title but answers, "My grandmother taught me how to play the dulcimer. I guess I could do that."

"OK, Emori's taken care of, too, then," Tamaki ticks of another slender finger before turning to me. "Kosuke, what about you?"

I think hard. I have absolutely no experience with drums, so I'm useless in that field. But...I may be able to cover the bass field, at least a little.

"Er...I can play the violin, I suppose. I took lessons a while ago..."

"That'll take care of Genmei," Tamaki proclaims. He finally turns to the twins and asks, "I trust that you two can handle the drums, yes?"

The twins, who continue to glower at Tamaki angrily, huff together and say, "Yeah, we can do the drums. Even though we don't want to."

Tamaki deflates for a split second before saying, frowning, "So, Minoru's taken care of. That should settle it." He turns to Bishamon with the most charming smile he can possibly muster. "Well, Bishamon, you ready?"

Bishamon glares at Tamaki, who squeaks and hides behind Haruhi once more. But in the end, the singer just growls, "Fine. But don't think for a second this means we're friends."

A single tear falls down Tamaki's cheek at this. I pat him on the shoulder.

* * *

So, afterwards, we're pulled in for make-up artist treatment as the show is postponed for another twenty minutes, to the audience's minimal disappointment. As the others are attended to normally, Haruhi and I cause problems, me more so. As if the fact that the artist kept commenting on my 'pretty eyelashes' weren't enough, I almost had to yank the hair-comb from her before she finally let me comb my wig out myself. They ask us to please change clothes, which happen to be much more tighter and low-necked. Haruhi and I politely refuse, and the others do so as well to avoid suspicion.

Finally, we find ourselves stepping out onto the bright stage. Don't ask me how, but brand-new equipment has been set up for us, complete with a nice violin for me. We all take our places and only then do I realize how nervous I am. My heart is thumping almost HRD-threateningly hard, my eyes are blinking rapidly, and my fingers are twitching so fast you'd think I was being electrocuted. I tell myself to calm down, that I'll mess up the preformance if I'm too nervous, and my fingers calm down to smooth flicks. I take my place between Mori and the twins and pick up the violion, setting the end at the crook of my neck and the wand in my fingers. I think I'm the only one who's really nervous. The others look either excited, expressionless, or-in Bishamon and the twins' case-annoyed. Even Haruhi looks a little pleased.

Now, I know what you're thinking now: How on earth are we supposed to perform if half of us have never even heard any of the songs we're supposed to play? Well, according to Mr. Watanabe, we're basically going to be syncing with an instrumental track being played through the speakers. The others would be fine. The twin's drums and Tamaki's piano almost completely blocked whatever they were doing with their hands. Mori would just have to move his fingers to the rhythm. I worry about Haruhi, Honey, and I, though. We're going to have to really get into the rhythm if we want to pull this off, me especially.

The lights shut down, and I jump instinctinvely. Dry ice steam begins to tickle my ankles. I can just see the outlines of the others in a bright blue light. The crowd, 99.9% female, is already cheering and whooping in excitement.

"Good evening, Tokyo," a deep, bass voice booms out frmo the speakers. "And welcome to Accidental Infatuation's fith performance of 2007. Thank you all for attending this evening."

The voice pauses to let the crowd cheere once more before continuing, "However, it is with great regret that I inform you of the conditions of tonight's performance. Due to an untimely incident beyond our control-"

Even in the near-dark, I know for a fact that almost everyone on stage is glaring at Tamaki. I can see his form go rigid behind his piano.

"-I'm afraid that almost all of our members will be unable to perform tonight."

There's a very loud, long, collective groan from the audience. I can already hear more than half of them standing up to leave, loudly complaining to one another.

"But," the announcer hurriedly adds. Most of the footsteps stop. "We are happy to tell you that we have replacements for those particular members tonight."

There's only one or two cheers and tentative applause from the audience.

"So, without further ado, I present to you..."

Dramatic pause.

"...ACCIDENTAL-Oh. Wait, hold on...er...BISHAMON IWASAKI AND THE OURAN HIGH-SCHOOL HOST CLUB!"

The curtain rises.

Here we go.

**2 IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENTS:**

**1. Special credit to the FIRST person to tell me the Soul Eater reference in the last chapter.**

**2. I AM ACCEPTING LYRICS FOR THE SONG THAT THE HOST CLUB WILL SING. NOTE: I CANNOT BE A **_**REAL**_** SONG. THERE'S A FANFICTION POLICY FOR STUFF LIKE THAT, OR SOMETHING. SO, IF YOU SUBMIT A SONG, **_**IT HAS TO BE ORIGINAL. **_**IF I DO NOT RECIEVE ANY LYRICS, I WILL TRY TO MAKE THEM MYSELF.**

**Anyway. Here ya go. Until next time.**


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